Teana's Travels Book 23: Heroes of Time & Twilight
by D.K.N
Summary: The Dimensional Defense Force's operatives travel to two "neighboring" realms, to recruit two separate incarnations of a legendary hero. First, Homura and Miyako must aid the prepubescent hero Link in his quest to stop a mischievous imp and the cursed mask he wields. Then, Teana leads a group in rescuing the Realm of Twilight from an attack by the forces of Darkness. T for violence
1. Woodfall Temple

Sorry for the wait; I'm caught up in a big translation project.

One thing to note: Upon starting this, I have yet to actually play _Twilight Princess_. I'm hoping to get it (and _Wind Waker_) for Christmas, though. …And no, I will not be adding _Wind Waker_ to this; not because I don't like it, but because I just can't figure out a way _to_ add it in.

**THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS; I DO NOT OWN THEM AND MAKE NO MONEY OFF OF THIS STORY**

_Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha _(Teana, various other characters) – 7Arcs

_Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni _(Shion and friends/family) – 07th Expansion and Studio Deen

_Shuffle!_ (Kaede Fuyō and associated characters) – Navel and Asread

_Erika's New Perfume _(Marie, Sarah, Erika, Timmy, Veronica) – DeviantArtist 'Lance the Young'

_Mai-chan's Daily Life _(Mai, Kizuna) – Waita Uziga

_Star Wars _(Ahsoka, Cody, Rex, _Force Unleashed_ cast) – George Lucas, Lucasfilm

_Halo_ (Forerunners, UNSC, Sangheili Alliance) – Bungie, 343 Industries

_StarCraft_ (multiple characters, events, and devices) – Blizzard Entertainment

_Naruto_ (characters, techniques, abilities) – Masashi Kishimoto

_Mahō Sensei Negima _(characters, spells, abilities) – Ken Akamatsu

_Kingdom Hearts _(characters, weapons, enemies, concepts) – Square-Enix

_Neon Genesis Evangelion _(characters, concepts, tech) – Studio Gainax

_Elfen Lied _(Kaede K., others) – Lynn Okamoto, Arms

_Red vs. Blue _(The Blood-Gulch Crew, the ex-Freelancers) – Rooster Teeth

_My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic_ – Hasbro, Lauren Faust

_Transformers Film Series _– Hasbro, Michael Bay

_Transformers: Beast Wars _– Hasbro, Mainframe Entertainment

_Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon _– Naoko Takeuchi

_Digimon _– Google and Wikipedia won't tell me who presently owns this franchise

_Yu-Gi-Oh! _– Kazuki Takahashi, Viz Media

_Sonic the Hedgehog _– SEGA

_Gears of War _– Epic Games

_Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles _– Columbia Tristar (I think)

_Mass Effect _– Bioware

_Metroid _– Nintendo

**_Puella Magi Madoka Magica _****– Gen Urobuchi, SHAFT**

**_The Legend of Zelda _****– Nintendo**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-****_BOOK 23 START_****-**

**Planet Termina**

**Just Outside Clock Town**

**Day 1 – 10:00 AM**

A magic rune-circle appeared on the grass, accompanied by the sound of a ticking clock, and two figures appeared in a burst of light & magic; both were girls around 13 or 14 years of age. The first had purplish-black hair down to her backside, with cool purple eyes, wearing a long-sleeved white blouse of sorts with a purple and black collar, purple-trimmed black sleeves at the wrists, a short pale-purple skirt with white frills, and black stockings with grey diamond patterns running up the outside, with a diamond-shaped purple gem set into the back of her left hand and a circular silver device mounted on her left forearm; the other girl had upper-back-length pale-purple hair in two pigtails that hung down her back, and teal eyes, and was wearing long dark-grey pants that went down to just above her ankles, sky-blue shoes with little armor plates over the toes, a tight powder-blue shirt with an open long-sleeved deep-blue jacket, and a teal-colored oval gem set into her upper chest, just below her throat, and she was carrying a metallic light-blue war-hammer almost as tall as she was.

"We have to find out who or what is responsible for the temporal fluctuation the Bureau's sensors detected in this area" Homura said, looking around at the grassy, hilly fields and the walled town nearby. "If it's a threat, we neutralize it; if it's neutral, we observe it; and if it's friendly, we explain things and work from there."

"Um… Homura-san?" Miyako was staring up at the sky, paying little attention to Homura.

"What?" the veteran magical girl asked.

Miyako pointed up. Homura followed her gaze… and gasped in surprise. The moon, though looking only around a tiny fraction of Earth's in size, was worryingly low and close to the ground – well within the atmosphere. More bizarre, however, was the huge grimacing face it had, orange eyes staring down at the town below. Homura detected the tiniest of tremors in the ground at her feet, the kind most people wouldn't even notice, and upon close inspection the moon appeared to be (very slowly) getting closer to the planet.

"That… cannot be good" she said.

"M-Maybe someone in town knows what's going on" Miyako suggested.

Homura nodded, pulling a crossbow out of her subspace storage and slinging it over her back. "Weapons summoned but not drawn, Miyako-san. We don't want to incite violence by approaching in what may be construed as a threatening manner, but we shouldn't walk around looking helpless, either."

Miyako nodded as she slung her hammer over her back, and then followed Homura up to the town's southern entrance. The spear-wielding guard let them pass, giving them a friendly "Welcome to Clock Town!" as they moved into the town proper. People were moving about, doing their day-to-day activities, but Homura's practiced eye could pick up the underlying tension; these people were spooked and uneasy, but were trying to deal with their fear by ignoring it. The town's namesake, a large and fancy clock tower, dominated the plaza.

"There aren't as many people as I th-thought a town this size would have" Miyako said.

"You're right" Homura replied. "Some must have fled… And no wonder why; if that moon _does_ fall, this town will be Ground Zero."

The duo headed into the passageway to the town's western area.

"L-Let's ask around" Miyako suggested, head turned back to face Homura as she spoke. "Maybe we can find someone who'll-Oof!"

Miyako and another person who hadn't been watching where they were going collided with each other halfway through the passageway, stumbling back from each other a few paces before catching their balance. Miyako and Homura soon took a good look at the other person; it was a cute little boy, around 9-11 years old, wearing a green tunic and a green cap over his blond hair, with elf-like pointed ears, bright blue eyes, and a straight sword held in a sheath strapped to his back, along with a fancy-looking metal shield and a handful of other things on his person.

"S-Sorry" he said. "Are you okay, miss?"

"O-Oh, I'm fine" Miyako replied. "Don't worry. Are you alright?"

The boy nodded. "It'd take a lot more than that to hurt me" he said with a smile.

Suddenly, a little golden spark of light with four insect-like wings extending from it flew out from behind the boy.

"Hey, Link," it said to him with a young girl's voice, "these two girls have a loooot of magic about them. Judging by what they're carrying, I think they're fighters like you."

"…What are you?" Homura asked it.

"I'm a fairy!" the little sprite replied. "What, you never saw one before?"

"Actually no, we have not. Where we come from, they don't exist except in fiction."

"…What kinda messed-up place would… Argh, never mind. My name is Tatl! And this little runt here is Link!"

"H-Hi" Link waved sheepishly.

"My name is Miyako" the ice-wielder smiled as she bowed in greeting.

"I am Homura" the stoic other said. "The organization we work for sent us to investigate a temporal distortion they detected in this area of this world."

"Temporal?" Link asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Having to do with time" Tatl replied.

"Oh. I think I know what you're talking about then, Miss Homura." He pulled out a blue ocarina. "This ocarina is magic" he said. "Different songs can trigger different effects, like teleporting me to certain locations or healing people. One of them is the 'Song of Time'. Normally, it can only teleport me to a place called the Temple of Time, or move certain types of giant blocks, but in this world… it allows me to rewind time. Y'see… that big moon up there is going to impact at 6AM three days from now. Playing the Song of Time lets me and Tatl warp back to 6AM today; four hours or so ago, we came back from my… third loop, I think. We're trying to find a way to save the Four Giants so they can use their combined power to stop the moon from falling and crushing everything."

"So you're in a three-day time loop trying to save the world?" Homura asked, trying not to let her shock at the familiarity of the boy's situation show.

Link nodded. "I, uh…" he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head "haven't really accomplished very much yet; I've got a few magic masks, I got some bombs and an enchanted bag to carry 'em in, and I was just about to head out to the first temple out in the swamp and rescue the Giant there when I bumped into you girls. …There's something that's been bugging me, though; if I rewind time to escape the moon's impact and keep going and stuff, wouldn't that undo my rescuing the Giants? I'm actually kinda good at this 'hero' thing, 'cause I've done it before, but I don't think I can get to and clear all four Temples in three days, AND deal with any other problems that come up."

"…I have actually been working on a new ability that should address that issue" Homura replied. "One of my powers is control over time. Besides stopping it for everything except myself and anyone I touch, or rewinding it like your 'Song of Time' does, I've also discovered a few new tricks recently. I can speed up or slow down time for myself or other objects or people, but the thing we really need is my new ability to 'anchor' events in time. It's an advanced form of my ability to grant people their memories from previous iterations. With this, after you clear a temple and rescue a 'Giant', I can anchor that event and those connected to it in time; when you rewind time again, the 'Giant' would remain free, the temple would remain 'cleared', and any events directly connected to that would also carry over."

Miyako looked at Homura with astonishment "I-I didn't know you could do that" she said.

"Like I said, it's a new ability, only developed recently while Kerrigan was out building her army; this will be my first time using it in the field, though I have tested it, so I know it works."

"Let's find someplace with less people around to explain more to each other" Tatl suggested. "Y'know, just a thought."

**-****_Break_****-**

And so, the quartet found a little out-of-the-way garden area by a stream, and (aided by Link's 'Reversed Song of Time') proceeded to explain things to each other. Link told the two _Puellae Magi_ (and Tatl) of his time in Hyrule, helping save the world from Ganondorf's plot, and then setting out in search of his old companion Navi, finishing with his encounter with the Skull Kid and ending up in Termina, and what had transpired so far. In turn, Homura and Miyako told Link and Tatl what they could about the Dimensional Defense Force and the various adventures and battles its people had been involved in.

"Wow" Link said. "And I thought _I_ had a lot on my plate…"

"S-So, um…" Miyako said. "I guess w-we should head for Woodfall Temple now, right?"

Homura nodded. "Let's get moving."

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

The trio of Homura, Miyako, and Link – currently in Deku form – stood on the small wooden platform that bore a large symbol carved into a pedestal in the center. After a mini-adventure involving the Deku Tribe and a monkey, they'd found their way here. Deku-Link stood atop the pedestal, and conjured the Deku Pipes that his ocarina transformed into when he was in this form.

[Insert actual notes (instead of in-game button pattern) here, but I can't find them via Google]

In response to the Sonata of Awakening, the partially-submerged temple in the center of the tainted lake rose up above the water, as did a walkway leading from the pedestal platform to the entrance. Link returned to his original form and started down the path, Homura and Miyako following while Tatl rode on his hat.

They entered the temple to find a massive chamber with a pit below, multiple giant trees/roots rising up out of the floor and up to the ceiling, and a handful of platforms. On the entrance platform was a Deku Flower, with a few more Flower-bearing platforms forming a chain along the right-hand side of the room. Link sighed and then took out the Deku Mask, assuming his puny living-plant form and hopping into the flower. As he began hover-flowering his way across the room, Homura and Miyako took the easier route, making magic-powered leaps onto the giant roots and using chakra to cling to them, hopping from root to root and quickly reaching the door on the other end of the room. There, two huge spider-like creatures with armored skull patterns on their backs tried to attack the girls; Miyako smashed one aside with her hammer, knocking it into the pit below, while Homura drew a plasma sword from her subspace pocket and sliced the other Skulltula apart. Link soon caught up, landing on the platform, and the trio moved through the door into a large central chamber; the water below was tainted and purplish, and smelled as bad as it looked.

They headed down a 'ramp' on the left to a lower level, and Deku-Link's Spin Attack took care of the carnivorous plant there. Deciding to check out a door on the east side, Link used his Deku form's ability to hop across the water using the giant lilypads; Miyako used her ice powers to create a series of frozen platforms on the toxic substance, and then hopped across while carrying Homura (who lacked Miyako's magical immunity to ice friction and probably would've botched the landing if she tried to hop across the ice platforms on her own). They moved across the next room in the same way, and came into an isolated room with three tortoise-monsters with spikes rimming their shells. All three charged, spinning rapidly to turn their spikes into whirling sawblades, but Miyako simply slammed her palms on the ground, making spikes of ice jut out from the ground beneath the monsters just as they got close, killing one and flipping the other two over for her hammer and Homura's sword to finish off. Once the beasts were dead, a large treasure chest magically appeared in the center of the room, which Link hurried over to.

"It's a map of the area" he said. "Should help a little, I guess."

They returned to the previous room, and Homura chakra-leapt across the water to the north, finding a small chest containing a Small Key and bringing it back. They headed back to the central chamber, where Miyako's ice platforms were still in place, and used the Small Key on the locked door at the foot of the wood-ramp. The next room had a series of narrow wooden paths over the water, with an interception in the center with a huge block of light-gray stone in the middle. Fortunately the block was lighter than it looked, allowing a bit of magically-enhanced strength to easily shove it out of the way. They went right, traveling single-file along the narrow raised path over the poisoned water, and as they reached a corner a Skulltula came down at them, only for Miyako's hammer to slam it into the wall. They followed the path, pushing the block out of the way from another angle, and reached a closed door with an unlit torch near it. Link was about to double back for the lit torch on the other side of the room, but Homura stopped him and then used a single Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_ to light the torch, unlocking the door.

The next room was another isolated chamber with two large dragonfly-like creatures. The nearest one came at Link, who switched back to his human form and brought his shield up just in time to block an electrified tail stab. He then swung his blade and severed the giant insect's tail-tip, and then used a jumping strike to decapitate the bug. The other one, meanwhile, flew at Homura, who drew her crossbow and fired a perfectly-placed shot that speared it through the skull. Another treasure chest magically appeared, providing a compass of sorts that made locations of other items appear on the map. Back in the previous room, they headed up a ramp on the left, with Homura using another _Sagitta Magica_ to light the torch on the second floor. They hopped across some platforms, and Miyako froze the giant spider-web blocking the doorway and then shattered it with her hammer. They moved into the next small chamber and up the stairs.

The hallway was dark, and as the trio advanced several fuzzy shadowy blobs leapt at them from the darkness. Link led with his shield in front, his well-attuned eyes picking out the glowing yellow eyes of the little monsters and allowing him to slash his way through them all, the two girls following in his wake. The room at the end was also dark, the lone torch in the center nowhere near enough to light the chamber. More of the little darklings attacked, and Link used Spin Attacks to thin them out. Once they were all dead, Homura used her Fire magic to light the other torches, and the east door unlocked.

The next room was another large chamber with massive roots rising out of a sizable drop, and the floor below had several deep pits in it. A few moving platforms with Deku Flowers were going back & forth and electric dragonflies patrolled the area. Link moved to pull out and put on his Deku Mask, but then squeaked in surprise as Homura scooped him up, carrying the young boy bridal-style, and then made a chakra-powered leap over to the nearest root, her feet 'sticking' to the near-horizontal surface. Miyako followed in her wake, firing an ice spear at the nearest dragonfly and killing it. They leapt across the room like this, landing on the far corner platform with stairs, where Homura set Link down and gave him a little smile.

The trio headed down the stairs, emerging on a higher level of the first floor's central chamber. Link hurried over to and stepped down on a floor switch, and a pair of ladders magically appeared nearby, connecting the lower and upper levels of the room. They headed through the nearby door, and then followed the upper path right to another door. As they entered the room, however, the door locked behind them, and then a magical barrier sprang up between Link and the girls. Then, a large reptilian biped leapt down from the roots/branches bordering the room, wearing plate-mail armor and wielding a curved sword. It let out a breath of fire and then rushed at Link.

**Mini-Boss – "Dinofol"**

Link raised his shield just in time to block a downward swing of the Dinofol's blade, and the knockback gave him just enough time to lash out with a quick stab, damaging the creature's armor and wounding it in the torso. It reared back and took a breath, and Link jumped back just in time to avoid a stream of fire from its mouth. As soon as it was done breathing flames, the Dinofol leapt at Link, striking down at an angle, and Link grunted as he blocked the strike, thankful that he was able to reinforce his arms with magical power to increase their durability and strength. He counterattacked, swinging his own blade horizontally, but the Dinofol leapt over him and landed behind. Link spun around just in time to block the next strike with his own sword, and then engaged the Dinofol in a quick duel until he landed a diagonal strike to the beast's chest, cutting through the armor and dealing more damage.

The Dinofol let loose another stream of fire breath, which Link blocked with his shield. Link jumped back to dodge another falling chop, and then pulled a walnut-like object out of his tunic. He tossed the Deku Nut, stunning the Dinofol, and then made a magic-enhanced leap forward, letting out a war-cry as he tackled the beast sword-first, gravity and momentum carrying the blade's point right through the monster's upper neck. It thrashed for a moment, then went still. Link panted lightly for breath, pulling his sword free of the monster's body as the magical barrier came down and a large chest appeared in the middle of the room. He wiped off and sheathed his sword, and he & the girls headed over to the chest.

Inside was a bow, black with gold bracing and a pure white drawstring, along with a quiver loaded with 30 arrows. Stowing the gear on his pack behind his shield, Link and the girls exited the room and returned to the previous chamber. They leapt onto the small Deku Flower platform in the center of the pool of poisoned water below, and Link – recognizing from his previous adventures the diamond-shaped gold ornament with an eye in the middle mounted on the side of the upper platform ahead – drew an arrow and fired it into the 'eye'. Instantly the platform they were on began to go up & down. At the apex of its ascent, Miyako grabbed & carried Link, and she & Homura leapt across to the next door.

The next room was another isolated chamber, with shallow non-tainted water and several Deku Flowers. Immediately upon entry they were attacked by a strange frog-like creature, orange with black stripes. Miyako dodged a swing of its claws and smashed it with her hammer, sending it halfway across the room. It rebounded at that and launched itself at Link, who drew his shield and let the frog-beast crash into it, and then smacked it away with the broad side of his blade. In response, it jumped back and let out a strange call, and in response a spike-turtle appeared from underground. The frog-beast leapt onto the turtle's back, and let out a battle cry as the turtle extended its spikes and started spinning/charging toward the trio.

The trio scattered out of the way, letting the spike-turtle and its rider crash into and bounce off of the wall. It came at them again, but this time Homura was ready, dropping a tiny explosive charge in the spinning turtle's path. The perfectly-timed little blast flipped the magically-durable creature over, sending the frog-beast flying; the turtle withdrew into its magically-impregnable shell, while the frog-beast began climbing around on the ceiling. Link quickly drew his bow and fired an arrow at it, wounding it and knocking it off the ceiling. It immediately hopped over to its spike-turtle buddy, and they charged again. Link switched to his Deku form and hid inside one of the flowers; when the spinning turtle passed over him, he launched himself up, flinging the creature away and again sending the frog-beast up onto the ceiling, to then be hit by a high-velocity flash-frozen chunk of ice fired by Miyako.

The frog-beast returned to its mount again, charging at the group once more. Miyako slammed her hammer on the ground, releasing a magically-directed shockwave that destabilized the spike-turtle's charge. She then impaled the creature's underbelly with an ice spear from the ground, killing it, as the frog-beast leapt onto the wall one last time. Link, now back in his human form, fired another arrow, and that was it. The frog-beast screeched and fell to the ground, disappearing in a puff of dark smoke that faded to reveal a small, harmless, normal little frog. A door on the other side of the room unlocked, leading to a small 'closet' area of the chamber. Inside was a fancily-decorated chest, which contained an ornate golden key.

"What's that for?" Miyako asked.

"If it's anything like my last adventure," Link replied, "it's for accessing the 'boss' of this temple. C'mon, let's go find him… or her… or it."

They returned to the previous room, Homura carrying Link as they leapt across the gap to the right-hand door. They emerged in the original central chamber, overlooking the odd flower-like shrine object in the center of the poisonous pool below, with a torch right in front of them. Link drew an arrow, aimed very carefully, and fired it through the lit torch's flames; the arrow carried the fire in its path down, lighting the torch at the center of the flower-object. In response, the object's 'petals' closed & opened, and it then moved upwards, forming a spinning platform in the center for accessing other parts of the upper level. In addition, as it rose the water below was cleansed of toxins, becoming a healthy blue.

They hopped onto the spinning wooden flower and headed right, and Homura used a Fire spell to light the nearby torch and unlock the door. The next room had two large tiki-torches, a few platforms bordering the room, a pool of now-clean water below, and a door with a fancy-looking lock at the far-side platform. Homura used her crossbow to take out the two electric dragonflies buzzing about the room, and then Miyako scooped Link up again, and she & Homura chakra-leapt across the gap to the boss door, unlocking the fancy lock and passing through into the final room. They entered into a large circular battle arena of some sort, and as they took a few steps in tribal drumbeats started playing from nowhere. Suddenly, a huge humanoid figure dropped in from the ceiling; his body and clothes were painted a multitude of colors, his face (if he had one) was covered by an elaborate tiki-style mask with glowing red eyes, and he carried a large sword in one hand and a colorful shield in the other.

**Masked Jungle Warrior – ODOLWA**

The giant tiki man let out a few chants, and then leapt at the trio, swinging his huge sword in a wide arc in an attempt to slash all three at once. Link rolled back while Miyako and Homura leapt out of the way, and Homura retaliated with a bolt of Fire magic that hit Odolwa in the face… and did nothing more than singe the mask and piss him off. He jumped back and swung his sword in her direction, releasing a cutting wave of flame that she managed to bring her Shield up in time to block.

"Well, now we know why the Fire spell didn't do much" Tatl remarked.

Link fired his bow, and the enchanted arrow lightly wounded Odolwa and stunned him long enough for Link to rush in and land a jumping slash. The giant tiki-man leapt back across the room, leaving a slight afterimage, and started chanting and dancing around. In response, several large spider-like creatures with crab claws dropped from the ceiling and attacked the trio. The creatures mainly went for Homura and Miyako, keeping them busy as Odolwa charged at Link again. Link used his enchanted shield to defend against the masked being's massive blade, slashing at its legs but failing to land more than glancing blows. Then, Miyako managed to get away from the bugs attacking her and lashed out at Odolwa, her enchanted hammer hitting his shield hard enough to knock him back and off-balance, letting Link rush in and deal a few heavy blows with his sword.

Odolwa did another strange little dance and chant, and rocks began to fall from the ceiling, threatening to bash the trio's heads in. Homura froze time, fired magic bolts at each falling stone, then unfroze time and let them all hit, pulverizing the threat. Link stunned him with another enchanted arrow and landed a few more blows, and in response Odolwa chanted and conjured a large circle of magic fire around himself and Link, keeping the girls from interfering and Link from escaping.

The giant charged at Link, swinging his massive blade down, and the little hero rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being chopped in half. Link countered with a combo of sword strikes, though only one or two got past Odolwa's shield. He then ducked under a swing of Odolwa's shield, and hit the giant with another enchanted arrow, stunning him for another combo. Odolwa let out a war cry and swung his blade too low for Link to duck or roll under… and the boy, aided by a brief magic boost from Tatl, leapt over the blade and, at the apex of his jump, fired an arrow right into Odolwa's masked face. The giant staggered, stunned and wounded by the blow, and Link dug his sword into the giant's side, swinging up and pulling the blade free with his momentum, and then letting out a shout as he swung his sword one last time.

The wall of fire faded away. Odolwa's head hit the floor a second later, and a moment later the rest of his body toppled over backward with a thud. Link landed on his feet, panting lightly, as Odolwa's body burst into pale-blue flames and rapidly burned away, leaving nothing but his mask behind. Link sheathed his sword, and he & the two _Puellae Magi_ walked over to the mask, retrieving it. Suddenly, a glowing blue circle of magical energy sprang up around them. A brilliant flash of light enveloped them.

…

When the light faded, the trio found themselves standing atop a platform in the middle of what looked like a vast empty space, the air thick with a greenish miasma, pale-pink flower petals drifting around and a few massive pillars of water flowing upward from the bottom far below to the not-visible sky. And in the distance, barely visible in the greenish mist, was a titanic being. It had long, disproportionately thin limbs, with a body that seemed to also be its head. It raised its massive arms, and in a deep voice that shook the air it began to 'sing'.

"Could it be trying to tell us something with that melody?" Tatl wondered. "…Link, don't just stand there! Get out your instrument! You've said that ocarina of yours can cast magic via song, right? The Giant must be teaching you a spell-song you could use later!"

Link pulled out his ocarina, and played the melody – low in key, descending slightly and then climbing back up to a note above the first note. The Giant called out the melody again, and Link returned it, feeling magical energy flow through his little body. Behind him, Homura and Miyako trembled from the mysterious power that they now felt flowing through the area, from the titan in the distance and through the body of the little boy they'd allied with. Then, the Giant spoke, slow and deep.

"CALL… US…"

Then, a flash of light engulfed the group again. When it faded, they were inside a new area of the Woodfall Temple, with an exit right in front of them.

"The four Giants that Tael told us about…" Tatl murmured. "You were pretty good in there, Link; it shows that you've done this before. Now we just gotta keep that pace up and rescue the other three! …And, um… All that stuff I did to you… your horse… I… I apologize. …T-There, I apologized! S-So don't hold it against me, got it?-!"

"That was certainly impressive, Link" Homura said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah" Miyako agreed as she petted Link's head. "You did pretty well."

Link blushed faintly, not used to actually being praised for his accomplishments, especially by a pair of pretty older girls. "Thanks…" he murmured. "You two helped a lot, though."

The trio suddenly heard a rustling noise from behind them. Link turned and used his sword to slash away a net of vines, revealing a chamber containing a lone Deku Scrub in a red & white dress with her leaves/hair braided and held in place by gold and pale-pink flower-like adornments.

"Wha? …Who are you people?" she asked.

"This is Link" Tatl said, hovering over her young charge. "The girls are Homura and Miyako. And I'm Tatl!"

"I am the Deku princess" the Deku said. "Were you, by any chance, asked by that monkey to come save me?"

"Mm-hm" Link nodded.

"Aha! Just as I suspected! You see, your body smells a little bit like monkey. So… he made it back fine after all. That's good. I was worried that when I didn't come home, my father would think that monkey had kidnapped me!"

"Actually," Homura spoke up, "that's exactly what happened. He's preparing to torture and execute the monkey as we speak."

"…_What?-!_ Oh no, oh no! W-We've got no time to lose! We have to get back to the palace and save him!"

**-****_Break_****-**

**Deku Palace**

The would-be hero monkey, now tied up and suspended from the ceiling, gulped as he looked down at the pot of boiling water he was being hung over. The rustling of the leaves of the Deku King's dancers filled the room, as the King sat on his throne, clutching his scepter with an angry look on his face. He stood up, raising an arm as if to signal.

"Begin lowering the ro-"

"Daddy, _stop!-!_"

Everything went quiet as the Princess came running in, followed by Deku-form Link.

"Oh, my princess!" the King exclaimed. "My darling princess! You are all right? I was so worried."

The Princess' response was to tackle her father, knocking him onto his back and jumping up & down on him, pounding him down into his throne.

"Father, you impatient, trigger-happy, narrow-minded idiot!"

She turned to the King's attendants, giving them a death glare that had them all quivering in fear.

"What are you waiting for?-!" she shouted at them. "Let that monkey go this instant!-!"

The attendants, knowing full well how bad their normally-placid Princess could be if genuinely angered, scrambled to free the monkey. The little simian collapsed on the ground, panting lightly and letting out a sigh of relief as Deku-Link and the Princess came up to him.

"Oh, Mr. Monkey…" the Princess said. "I am truly sorry. Father does such rash things when he's worried about me."

"I understand, Princess" the monkey replied. "Has the temple been returned to normal?"

"Yes, thanks to Link here."

"Really? So that's his name? …Thank you for keeping your promise to me, Link."

"When people are in trouble, I help them" Link replied. "That's just who I am."

A few minutes later, Link emerged from the temple, returning to his human form and finding Homura & Miyako waiting. He nodded to Homura, who brought up her Time Buckler and started charging power into it. The magitech device clicked and whirred as magical energy built up in it, and a magic symbol that bore resemblance to a stylized clock formed at Homura's feet. After several seconds, a barely-visible wave of energy pulsed out from her, rapidly encompassing the palace and the now-purified swamp.

"There" she said, panting lightly. "The clearing of the temple, the cleansing of the swamp, and the resolution of the Deku situation have all been 'anchored' in time. When we travel back to the start of Day 1, all of this will remain having happened instead of being undone."

"L-Let's head back to town for now" Miyako suggested. "I'm getting a little hungry."

-**_CHAPTER END_****-**

And there we go, the start of the next Book. Also, I was originally going to have another section of the story make up a second half of this chapter, but it ended up being so big as to become a separate chapter in its own right; I'll be posting it up probably a couple hours after posting this one.


	2. Romani Ranch

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**South of Clock Town**

**Day 1 – 5:45 PM**

The rest of the afternoon was mostly spent finding a few things to broaden Link's abilities a little. Now, as the sun was setting, the trio found themselves in a branching grassy path south of Clock Town. One branch of the path – the one that, according to a sign, led to "Romani Ranch" – was blocked off by a gigantic boulder.

"Think there's anything useful or interesting on the other side?" Tatl said.

"Probably, knowing how things usually go" Link replied. "But… I think we'll have to wait until I get stronger explosives; my bombs won't even faze that thing. I guess we should just turn around and call it a day."

"That won't be necessary" Homura said, stepping forward and readying her Time Buckler. "You three, please get back."

Miyako, Link, and Tatl got some distance, and watched in surprise as Homura 'flickered' and appeared closer to them while at the same time a multitude of explosive ordnance appeared between her and the boulder, all flying at and impacting the giant rock at the same time in a massive compound explosion. When the smoke and dust cleared, the boulder had been blown to bits and the path was clear.

"Wow…" Link stared in awe.

"What the hell kinda weapons do _that_?" Tatl whispered, awed and a little frightened.

"T-This is why I'm glad Homura-senpai doesn't get really angry too easily…" Miyako murmured, feeling a twinge of fear.

"Shall we?" Homura said, gesturing to the cleared path to the ranch.

The group moved down the path, and after several minutes came upon a spacious open field, with a house, barn, and stable at one end. There were two people outside; a young woman with long, chestnut-colored hair, pointed ears, fair skin, blue eyes, and wearing a white & pink dress (which looked to hold a fairly sizable chest) sat on the ground near the house's front door, watching a little girl around Link's age, with the same long chestnut hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, wearing a white and blue dress, run around the yard, her little feet pattering along. The two girls looked up at the approaching group, but Link's eyes were on something else. Indeed, his little eyes widened in surprise and joy as he spotted a young horse whinnying at him from the pen.

"Epona!" he cried.

Link ran up to the young horse, who licked him affectionately as he embraced her.

"Oh, I was so worried about you!" he said.

"You know this little girl?" the young woman asked as she and the little one came up. "We found her wandering around yesterday."

"She's Epona; she's my friend" Link said. "When the Skull Kid attacked me and rode off with her, he said he'd 'gotten rid' of her. I feared the worst!"

"The Skull Kid… That little imp has been causing all sorts of trouble lately."

"You don't know the half of it, lady" Tatl replied.

"Who are you people?" the little girl asked.

"My name is Link" the boy smiled and bowed in greeting. "Pleased to meet you, and thank you for taking care of Epona."

"I'm Tatl!" the fairy chimed.

"I am Homura."

"A-And I'm Miyako."

The young woman smiled. "My name is Cremia. This is my little sister Romani."

"Hi~" little Romani said. She looked at Link, letting out a little giggle as she blushed lightly. "You're cute."

Link's cheeks went red; no-one had ever called him 'cute' before.

"So what brings you folks here?" Cremia asked.

"It's a bit of a long story, ma'am" Homura replied.

"Please don't call me 'ma'am'; I'm only 19. …Are you okay, dear? You seem kind of… numb."

Homura's expression fell a little. "I spent several months having to suppress my emotions, lest the ever-growing accumulated sorrow consume me. Now I no longer have to hold my emotions in, but I've been doing it for so long that it's very hard not to; the few times I manage to release my feelings, such as when I'm alone with the people I love, they come out too strong, leaving me… well, as a bit of a wreck, really. It will probably take years before my emotional state returns to what can be called a 'normal' balance."

"And from what we can tell," Tatl said, "Miyako doesn't have any huge issues like that, but she is pretty socially awkward and bad with crowds & new people, though she's a lot better with people she knows."

Miyako blushed and fidgeted.

"And as for lil' green here? …Hoo, boy. He's been through _wayyy_ too much sh…" Tatl stopped herself, reminding herself that innocent little Romani was listening in "too much bad stuff in his life for someone his age. He's a pretty skilled little warrior, though, and stupidly brave and selfless, too. …And yeah, I… guess all the stuff he's been through hasn't gotten rid of that cute innocence he's got."

"So you're a fighter?" Romani asked Link.

"Well, I've fought a handful of monsters…" Link admitted.

"More than a handful" Homura chimed in, bringing up her Time Buckler and "magically" (actually via her presently-invisible Omnitool) projecting a screen that showed Link's fight against Odolwa.

"Goodness…" Cremia murmured. Romani, meanwhile, looked at Link in a new light, a spark of hope and an idea forming in her cute little head.

"Link apparently h-had another big adventure before this one" Miyako said. "And that one, h-he did almost all on his own, except for a different fairy companion. F-From what I understand, he wound up here in Termina while looking for her, the Skull Kid ambushed him, and things developed from there."

"…Well, why don't you kids come inside and I'll see if I have a snack to spare for you. Come along, now; don't be shy!"

As Cremia led the girls in, Romani pulled Link aside and whispered in his ear.

"If you're as good with a bow-and-arrow as I think you are," she said, "meet me in the barn in 20 minutes, after our snack."

**-**_**Break**_**-**

"You came. Good."

Link walked into the ranch's barn, finding Romani waiting there. He had convinced Homura and Miyako that he and Tatl would be alright spending the night here (which Cremia had all but insisted on) while they stayed at Clock Town in case anything happened there, and they would meet up in the morning. Now he was face-to-face with the normally-cheerful girl, who had a serious and focused expression on her face.

"They're coming tonight" she said.

"Who're 'they'?" Link asked.

"I don't really know what they are. Ghosts, or aliens from another world; I don't know. They come at night… every year, when the carnival approaches… They come riding in a bright, shining ball. A whole lot of them come down… They come here, to the barn… and they try to take our cows. I've been able to fight them off by myself the past couple times with my bow, but more and more come each time; I don't think I can do it by myself this time. And… besides the cows… I think they're after _me_ now, too. Big sister won't believe me when I try to tell her about 'them'… We have to protect our ranch! Link… please, will you help me?"

"…Of course I will" the boy replied, as serious as he could be.

Romani's smile lit up the room. "Great!" she chirped. "If it's anything like the last few times, they'll start showing up at 2:30 in the morning, and they'll flee when the sun comes up. We just have to hold out for that long. Think you can do it?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Meet me outside the barn at 2:20. We'll work together to protect my home…"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Romani Ranch – Day 2, 2:29 AM**

The two little kids waited anxiously, bows in hand and quivers full of arrows slung over their back, along with Link's sword and shield; a few boxes of extra arrows were right behind them. Cremia was asleep inside, blissfully unaware of the danger that her baby sister would soon be in.

"There!"

Romani pointed to a large glowing golden spark of light flying down from the starry sky, soon hovering over the field. In the field around and beneath it, several strange beings began to warp in – floating above the ground, with huge purple-and-black 'heads' with grayish featureless faces and gold eyes that shone like headlights, along with vaguely-conical bodies with purple and black plaid-like coloring & pattern, and two long, thin arms tipped with bright orange two-fingered hands with sharp claws. As one, they began to slowly drift in the direction of the ranch.

"Here they come!" Romani readied her bow. "We can't let any of them get past us, Link!"

"Right" the boy readied his own weapon.

As two of the beings got close, one of them spotted Romani and rushed at her with claws bared, its speed almost tripling. She coolly fired an arrow that struck right between its brightly-glowing eyes; it fell backward and vanished in what looked like a burst of orange flame. The second one rushed in, only for Link's arrow to dispatch it as well. The rest of the ghosts/aliens/whatever-they-were all started heading toward the two prepubescent obstacles to their goals, while more began beaming in to join the advance.

The next several minutes were quite hectic, as the 'beings' began to attack from multiple directions, and Link & Romani split to cover the two main approaches at once. Their arrows flew, striking down one 'being' after another, but the entities kept coming. Romani spun to avoid one ghost/alien's claw-swipe, putting an arrow between its eyes, and then fired a distance shot at another trying to circle around the house. Suddenly, she squealed as one being's hand grabbed her wrist, immediately pulling her close and covering her mouth with its other hand, making her drop her bow. She tried to scream out for Link, but he couldn't hear her. The being began to drag her away, and she saw the golden light flying closer. The girl's imagination filled her head with horrible possibilities, of her being strapped to a cold metal table while the creatures cut her open and rummaged through her organs while she was conscious, or a wicked machine violating every one of her orifices at once. Tears of terror came to her eyes as the light drew closer.

"_GET AWAY FROM HER!-!-!_"

The alien turned just in time to take a downward-stabbing sword in the face, Link's enraged tackle driving his blade through its skull and knocking Romani out of its grasp. He picked her up and carried her as he made an adrenaline- and magic-fueled dash back toward the house; as he carried her, Romani caught sight of the determined look on Link's young face, highlighted by the starlight, and she felt her cheeks heat up and her heart pound with something other than fear as she let out a quiet gasp. He came to a stop outside the barn, gently setting her down next to her bow.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Y… Y-Yeah" she nodded. "Link, I…"

They were interrupted as another of the creatures rushed at them, and Link fired an arrow into its face at close range, dispelling it. Romani shook the cobwebs out of her mind and retrieved her weapon, joining her little savior in continuing to defend her home. Unfortunately, the aliens/ghosts now seemed rather angry, and started to come in greater numbers. Three of them charged at the two kids, and Link fumbled an arrow. As he tried to properly realign it, Romani shot one of the aliens, but the other two kept coming before she or Link could prepare another shot. They drew near… when suddenly, a larger, heavier arrow went into and partially through the head of one of the beings, knocking it back into the other one. Link and Romani turned to look where the shot had come from, and Romani gasped as the person responsible loaded another round into her heavy crossbow as she stepped out from the house.

"Get away from my baby sister!-!" Cremia roared.

She fired another arrow into the cranium of the third ghost/alien, and then hurried over to Romani and Link.

"I'm assuming these are the 'fairy tale boogeymen', as I called them before?" she asked.

"Yes" Romani replied, sounding rather annoyed. "_Now_ do you believe me?"

"Argue later, you two" Link said, interrupting Cremia's apology before it could start. "There's more coming!"

Indeed, the enemy had regrouped and was now attacking again. Link and Romani readied their bows, while Cremia loaded another arrow into her crossbow. Aliens attacked, arrows flew, and aliens (maybe) died. Cremia showed that she knew full well how to use her crossbow, sometimes scoring two kills with one bolt, while Link's shield and sword saw use alongside his bow, and Romani displayed her surprising-for-her-age accuracy.

The enemy started coming in even larger waves closer together, though, and the trio were soon being pushed back toward the barn. Cremia fired a bolt through the heart of one of the beings, but then another one silently hovered down from the roof behind her. She turned in surprise, feeling a sudden chill and seeing the creature's claw coming at her…

And the chill rapidly grew as what looked like a mirror made of ice rapidly formed off to her left. From it shot a blur of motion, which resolved into Miyako blocking the creature's attack. The purple-haired _Puella Magi_ formed a hand-seal, and then thrusted the hand at the being, forming and firing a spear of ice through its chest. She then turned to an approaching pack of the things and formed another hand-seal sequence:

"_Hyōton: Sensatsu Hyōsho!_"

Dozens of small ice needles formed around her and fired at the approaching beings, skewering them and knocking them back. Then, Homura leapt from the roof, taking a deep breath as she formed a seal sequence:

"_Katon: Hōsenka!_"

She launched a barrage of little fireballs from her mouth, striking down at least five of the ghosts/aliens, and landed amongst the others.

"What's the situation?" she asked.

"We have to hold out until sunrise" Link replied as he fired an arrow at another 'being'.

Homura looked to the east, where the purplish-orange glow of pre-dawn was already visible. She then nodded, drawing a plasma sword in one hand and a Sangheili plasma pistol in the other, while Miyako readied her hammer. The ghosts/aliens charged, and the team rose to meet them.

As the early morning wore on, it became clear that the ghosts/aliens just couldn't overcome all five of them (well, six if you count the little bit of help Tatl was able to provide). In a last-ditch effort, a massive horde of them materialized and rushed the ranch all at once. But then, just as they drew near, the Sun crested the hills. Its rays of light seemed to burn the invaders, who teleported out en masse. The glowing ball of light then shot upward into the heavens, disappearing. Romani and Link let out twin sighs of relief, the tension visibly leaving their bodies.

"…We did it" Romani said softly… before then cheering and making a jump for joy. "We did it!"

Link tiredly stowed away his bow, and then felt as Homura's hand was placed on his head in a friendly gesture.

"I'm so sorry" Cremia said as she embraced her little sister. "All this time I thought you were confusing a bad dream for reality, or pulling a prank on me… But you've been defending our ranch – our _home_ – all by yourself for so long against those… _things_… I'm so sorry I doubted you, Romani."

"…It's okay" the little girl replied as she hugged her big sis back. "You know now, and we won. Heck, maybe they won't even come back next year now that they know what we can do. …How did you know to come help us?"

"I heard Link's shout; it woke me up, and I looked out my bedroom window to see you two fighting those monsters all by yourselves. I couldn't let you two be out there against all that alone…"

"M-Miss Cremia?" Link said. "How about we head inside and I'll tell you all about what we're involved in? I think you've earned the right to know the whole story."

"…Alright. I'll make us all breakfast and then we'll sit down and talk while we eat. Come long now."

The young woman led the way and the others followed, Link blushing lightly as Romani led him by the hand.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

"…And that's where we stand" Link concluded. "We're going to be jumping back to yesterday 6AM as many times as it takes, anchoring events in time as we go, until we can stop the Skull Kid's mad plan of destruction."

"…Goodness…" Cremia breathed out. "Saving our world, right after you got done saving yours… And you've been more or less alone until Homura & Miyako met you?"

"Well, Zelda helped me whenever she could, but… she was in hiding a lot, or busy saving other people as Shiek, so… There was Navi, but she disappeared; as I said, looking for her was how I got caught up in _this_ mess."

"We will anchor the events that have taken place here, from our arrival to this conversation and beyond, in time" Homura said. "That way, saving this ranch from 'Them' will not be undone when we go back to the beginning of yesterday. And you will both remember all of this."

"That's good" Romani replied. "I really, _really_ don't wanna forget. …Or would the proper phrasing be, I don't want to have never known it in the first place? Um…"

Cremia let out a soft giggle as she tousled her baby sister's hair, making the little girl let out a cute little annoyed groan at the childish gesture (at least part of her annoyance being at the fact that, despite her desire to seem grown up, that gesture from Cremia still made part of her feel happy and safe and smiley just as it had done since she was a toddler). Cremia then turned to Link, who was seated beside her. She looked down at his innocent blue eyes, feeling sadness and pity.

"You poor little thing…" she said softly, reaching out to gently caress his cheek. "I just realized… Your mother died when you were an infant. You grew up in a village of perpetual children, as an outcast through no fault of your own, and then you got thrown into a dangerous battle to save Hyrule, being hurt and frightened and exposed to all sorts of terrible things. And the few friendships you made along the way were lifted clear out of the timestream, and were distant even before that. Link… you've never been given the basic affection and love all children should have. You've never even been hugged, have you?"

"Uh…" the little boy thought long and hard on his life. "N-No" he admitted. "Is… Is it really that big a deal?"

Cremia didn't say anything. She removed Link's pointy green hat, setting it aside, and then reached out and gently pulled him into an embrace. She held him close, his head to her soft chest, one hand slowly rubbing his back while the other stroked his hair. Link let out a quiet gasp, eyes going wide, as the warmth and softness of this gesture stirred up emotions within his heart, ones he didn't really know how to handle. His body, normally in a state of constant battle-ready tension, relaxed in Cremia's arms, his eyes growing misty as he felt sadness, confusion, and – more and more by the second – comfort, joy, safety and security, and the like. Cremia very slowly, almost imperceptibly rocked him back and forth, and he let out the tiniest of whimpers as he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the sudden urge to cry.

"It's okay, honey" she whispered to him. "You spend today and tomorrow here, with us, and when you reset time you spend whatever free time you have here if you want to, as well. I'll take care of you, I promise. Does that sound good, sweetie?"

Link nodded, letting out a quiet sniffle. Cremia's gentle hand turned his head up to look at her, and he let out a slightly ragged breath as he looked at her warm, comforting smile. "Thank you…" he murmured. "I… I don't know what's wrong with me…"

"You're being given something you've missed and needed all these years without even knowing you needed it. Little boys shouldn't spend their first 10 years without hugs, without someone to take care of them." She pulled his face back into the hug, and looked at Miyako and Homura while still hugging him. "You two girls are welcome to stay here whenever you like as well" she said. "You've earned it. I'm afraid we only have one guest bed, though, but it's big enough to fit the both of you, no problem."

"T-Thank you" Miyako gave a little bow of gratitude, which Homura mirrored.

Slowly, reluctantly, Cremia let go of Link, who was still looking at her with his big blue eyes. She giggled. "I've got to go check something, Link" she said. "I'll be right back; I promise."

The little boy nodded as his self-appointed caretaker stood up and left the room.

"We'll go check the perimeter" Homura said. "Maybe there'll be something left behind that can tell us what those… things were."

She and Miyako left too, leaving Link alone with Romani.

"You'll be okay, Link" Romani said with a little smile. "Big sis will make up your hug deficit, with interest. While you're here with us, you can sleep in my bed."

"But… Where will you sleep?" Link asked.

Romani's smile grew as she blushed. "In my bed" she replied softly.

After a few seconds, Link blushed as well. "U-Uh…"

Romani giggled, before she then scooted closer to him. "Link… You saved our ranch… You…" her little hands grabbed his. "You saved _me_… I don't wanna think about what those things would've done to me if you hadn't stopped them. You're a little hero…"

And then she leaned closer to him, half-closing her eyes, and kissed him. Link's face went bright red as he realized he was being given his first kiss, but after a few seconds he kissed back as best he could. It was nothing heavy or particularly passionate, just a closed-mouth kiss, but all the same it had his and her little hearts thumping. After several seconds Romani pulled away.

"Soft…" Link whispered, barely audible.

Romani let out an adorable little giggle that, combined with her blushing smile, made Link's heart flutter.

"Yours too…" she whispered.

The two slowly broke apart just as Cremia returned.

"Okay…" the young woman said. "I can see the girls starting a patrol along the ranch's borders… Come with me, Link."

"What for?" the boy asked, even as he took her offered hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

"Well… You're tense, and you're a little dirty, and I can tell you're also sleepy… as is Romani; you two didn't sleep a wink last night, understandably. So~… First, you're gonna come with me, and I'm gonna give you a nice, relaxing bath. After I've bathed you and brushed your hair, I'll put you and Romani down for a nice nap; while you're napping, I'll wash those clothes of yours. While they're being washed, I'm afraid you'll have to wear one of Romani's nightgowns to bed for your nap; you're the same size as her, so it'll fit, though her nightgowns are all pinks and whites with frills. *Giggle* You'll look so _cute_~. Once you've woken up, I'm going to take a look at those scratches you've earned in your little adventure so far, make sure they're healing properly, and then…

Romani giggled as she watched her nurturing big sis lead Link away, his little hand held in hers, as Cremia found a new 'target' for her mothering. As he walked and half-listened, Link's cheeks were pink as all this 'nurturing' worked past his defenses (and at the knowledge that the pretty mama-like lady was gonna bathe him), but at the same time he felt happiness and a sense of security and comfort in his little heart.

Maybe this whole 'saving Termina' thing wouldn't be so bad, after all…

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

For you Link/Zelda fans worried about the Link/Romani in this chapter: Look at my works. Look at Negi. Look at Teana. Look at Theta Team. Polyamorous relationships are not exactly unheard of in the _Teana's Travels_ 'verse. Besides, little Link's got a big enough heart for more than one girl, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, next time is the happenings in Snowfall and the Goron Village, and Snowhead Temple. It may take a little while before the chapter's up, but rest assured it will come, likely (though not 100% definitely) before New Year's, and MAYBE (no promises) before Christmas.


	3. Snowhead Temple

**2013 Christmas Gifts: **Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection (X-360), a replacement copy of _Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 _(the old one got scratched up by a busted 360 disc-drive), _Pacific Rim _and _World War Z_ on DVD, _Pokémon X_, _Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker _and _Twilight Princess_, new sandals, an _Awkward Family Photos _365-day desk calendar, and a shirt with Darth Vader walking a dog-sized AT-AT with a red-lightsaber leash. Oh, and candy. CHOCOLATE, MAN, CHOCOLATE! [Written 12/25/13]

This chapter took so very long because of juggling Wind Waker, X Version, Budokai, and a translation project all while typing this chapter up at the same time. Apologies for the delay, but expect another one for the next chapter as well. [Written 12/30/13]

**ANNOUNCEMENT:** Although I only have a few scenes/ideas planned so far, I am working on the outline for Book 28. It will be an original plotline, and the Z-Fighters will play a major role. I've yet to decide a title or underlying plot details, but I'm working on it. [Written 12/24/13]

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES. …SERIOUSLY. I'M, LIKE, THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD.

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Day 3 – 7:45 PM**

**Romani Ranch**

The past two days had been some of the most pleasant that little Link had ever known. Though he'd gotten a few things done in Clock Town, acquiring a few goodies and such, he'd spent much of his time at the ranch. Cremia delighted in mothering and fussing over him, treating him like the innocent little boy he was rather than the life-risking, world-saving hero he'd been forced to be. Hot meals, an abundance of hugs and cuddles, being tucked in at night with Romani (who would blush and let out a cute little happy sigh as she snuggled up to him for sleep), being bathed and his hair lovingly brushed, being dressed in cute outfits as she squeed over him… Link felt a sense of peace and security he'd been lacking all his life without even knowing it, the little 10-year-old's heart feeling lighter and happier from having someone take care of him like a mother. And of course, Romani loved to hug and otherwise make contact with him, frequently sticking close to him and giving him that cute little giggle with a cute little blush whenever he looked at her.

Of course, Homura and Miyako had been drawn in to a lesser extent as well. Cremia had actually managed to get Homura to open up to her a little, and on the night of the second day the young woman had came into the guest bedroom to find Miyako peacefully asleep but Homura tossing about, trying and failing to fall asleep on her own. Cremia had sat down on the bed beside her and – with a little convincing to get the young teen to let her – held the girl close while softly rubbing her back until she fell asleep (it had always worked like a charm on Romani, and it did the same for Homura, to the young mage's mild embarrassment once she woke up in the morning). Miyako, while shyer than Homura, was also more cheerful and outgoing than her once she did get comfortable with the ranch sisters, playing with / helping train Romani and Link while also helping Cremia around the ranch. She and Link had proven invaluable the evening of Day 2 in providing armed escort for a delivery to town.

Now, Link, Tatl, Homura, and Miyako prepared to cast the Song of Time and return to the start of Day 1. Homura had already 'anchored' all of the ranch events in time, making it so Cremia & Romani would wholly remember everything and would essentially be making the trip 'back' with them.

"Now you three be careful with whatever you get involved in next" Cremia said. "Also, whenever you have time to kill, just stop by here; our doors are open for you, and we'll have hot food and warm beds waiting."

"We'll come here and check up on you guys to make sure you 'made the jump' with us once we arrive back at Day 1" Link replied. "We'll see you two soon if all goes right."

The two _Puellae Magi_ and one fairy gathered at Link's side, ensuring they were making physical contact with him. Homura had all of Link's rupees, arrows, bombs, Deku Nuts, and Deku Sticks stored in her subspace pocket so he wouldn't lose them on the trip back. He pulled out his ocarina, and magical energy flowed through him and it as he played the tune:

A, D, F, A, D, F, A, C, B, G, F, G, A, D, C, E, D

Everything went white, the sounds of ticking clocks filling the travelers' ears, as time itself was rewound…

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Day 1 – 6:00 AM**

In a flash of light, three figures (and a tiny fourth riding atop the shortest figure's hat) appeared inside the Clock Town clock tower. They exited into the chilly morning, looking up at the sky, and saw that the moon was indeed farther up, back where it had been three days before they jumped back in time.

"Alright" Link said. "Now let's check and see if the time-anchor at the ranch worked, and then we'll go help the second Giant. You two, get close to me."

One 'Song of Soaring' later, and the little group was whisked away to the ranch.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Day 1 – 8:45 AM**

The group headed for the snow-covered entrance to 'Snowfall', ready to find the second temple. The visit to the ranch had confirmed the time-anchor's success (though Cremia had briefly tricked them when they first showed up by pretending to not recognize them, before then laughing and calling them by name to assure them she was kidding around), and asking around had confirmed that the larger and more complex time-anchor for the Deku Forest, swamp, and Woodfall Temple was successful as well.

After a little climbing, the trio entered the snow-covered path to (what a recently-purchased map said was) a 'mountain village'. The minute they entered the path, they were attacked by an odd crab-like quadruped with a light-blue body, four long and thin yellow legs with red knees and blue feet, and a single red eye in the front – a Blue Tektite. It leapt at Link, trying to stab him with its claws, but Miyako summoned her hammer and struck it mid-jump, slamming it into a nearby rock face and killing it. As they moved up the path, gaining in elevation, another Tektite attacked and was dispatched by Link's sword. Homura used a Fire _jutsu _to melt a mound of multi-ton hunks of snow that were blocking the path, and they kept going. Eventually, they reached a snowy clearing containing a partially-frozen creek and a single wooden house.

"This is… the 'mountain village'?" Tatl asked. "One house in the middle of frozen nowhere? Uh… 'Village'. Right…"

"Maybe a whole bunch of people live in the house" Link suggested. "Like, a whole small village's worth."

"Like a circus clown car, except a house" Miyako said.

"…What's a 'car'?" Link asked.

"I will explain later, my medieval-tech-level little friend" Homura replied. "I will explain later."

They moved through the area, Link pausing to slash a Song-of-Soaring owl statue beacon with his sword. They went down another path – which, according to a wooden sign, led to the Goron Village – and came to a wider area with two large 'islands' of stone and snow connected by bridges, leading across to a large doorway or cave of sorts in the rock face across the area. A Blue Tektite got blown to bits by a frag grenade from Homura, and the group then crossed the first little bridge. From the snow on the little 'island' emerged a somewhat-humanoid wolf-like beast with thick white fur. The White Wolfos let out a short howl and then swung a claw at Link, being deflected by the boy's shield; Link then countered with a sword slash across the beast's chest. The little warrior rushed forward, battering the Wolfos with his shield, and then landed a second, deeper slash that dispatched the beast. Further up the path, a second White Wolfos was dealt with by a combo of hammer blows from Miyako, and the group then followed the cave path ahead.

The Goron village was covered in thick snow, and apparently sparsely populated, with the few Gorons present outdoors shivering in the cold. Nearby, one stood atop a short building, on a ledge directly over a closed door. Link's group kept moving past that, up to a ledge overlooking a misty abyss. There was a gap in the fence, and across the abyss was a fat pillar of rock with a cave in its side; a sign near the drop said "Lone Peak Shrine ahead – Watch your step! It's a long way down!".

"…There's something over there we need to get, isn't there?" Link said in an exasperated tone.

"How do you figure?" Homura asked.

"That's how it usually goes on my adventures" the boy replied.

"Hoo-hoot! We meet again, fairy child! And you have friends with you now!"

The group looked up at a massive owl perched atop a nearby wooden stump.

"Have my stone statues been of help?" Kaepora asked. "Well, it seems you children may indeed possess the strength to change the cruel fate of this land… as I expected of you. But the road ahead is even more challenging. Many trials await you. Please watch over these Gorons. Their land is doomed to be smothered in snow and ice forever. It will become a land where no living thing can survive. Without courage and determination, you will surely collapse from the extreme conditions… But if that courage and determination burns bright within you, then that's another story… So… Will you proceed?"

"I will" Link said with conviction.

"Haha! You are a child of many strengths! Well, perhaps you do have enough strength to change the fate of this mountain after all. I shall take to the air now, flying toward that shrine across the way, so follow behind me. Do not be daunted by appearances. Instead, let your feelings guide you, and the true path shall open before you. Follow me, children!"

Kaepora took off, shedding a single feather as he hovered a little ways out over the abyss… and the feather suddenly came to a rest on thin air.

"Of course!" Miyako said. "Invisible platforms! Follow the owl!"

Group Link hopped over to right below where Kaepora was hovering, and the wise giant owl nodded and then kept going, flying in a sort of zigzag pattern. The group followed his path exactly, leaping from one invisible platform to another. After about 15 heart-poundingly harrowing seconds, they made it to the shrine's entrance.

"Hoo-Hoot! I have certainly been assured of your courage and determination. From here on, you must not be fooled by appearances. You must rely on your feelings… Now, enter the shrine. Something that will aid you in your quest lies within. Use that item when returning from here."

The trio entered the 'shrine', which contained a few patches of plant-life, a handful of boulders, and a large ornate chest in the center. In it were several copies of a strange-looking object: what looked like a dark-purple magnifying glass with an indigo-tinted lens, and three red spikes sticking up from the top.

"Hey, I remember this thing!" Link said as he grabbed one "It's a 'Lens of Truth'! I had one during my last adventure. It lets you see invisible things like enemies or platforms, and you can see through fake-wall illusions."

Homura and Miyako each took one as well, and the group exited the shrine. With the Lenses of Truth fixed to an eye each, they were able to see the floating platforms and easily hop across them. Waiting for them on the other side, however, was a surprise made visible by the Lenses: the ghost of a Goron. The departed spirit had a full hair-sideburns-beard setup, a strong muscular build, and a huge scar across his torso that was likely from whatever had killed him. They walked toward him.

"…_Can it be?_" the ghost said. "_Are you able to see me? If you truly can, then follow behind me…_"

The ghost took off, flying low over the ground, and Group Link gave chase. He led them out of the Goron village, down the mountain, and back to the mountain 'village'. There, he floated up a tall sheer cliff, which the Lenses of Truth revealed to be covered in invisible ladders. Link prepared to start climbing, only for Homura to scoop him up and carry him as she and Miyako ninja-climbed up the cliff (i.e., using chakra to adhere their feet to the surface and literally walking up the 90-degree wall). At the top of the wall was a cave with a decorated entrance, and standing nearby was a lone shivering Goron, next to another Goron frozen in the block of ice.

"H-H-Hello there" the not-frozen Goron greeted while shivering. "This is the grave where a hero of our people rests. I came here to p-p-put up his memorial… but the return route has been blocked by snow, and I c-c-can't get back to Goron Village. And even worse, my brother has been frozen s-s-solid by the cold. The way things are looking, I'll be frozen too… Ohhh… It's times like this I w-w-wish I had taken some of the hot spring water I found when I was digging the hero's g-g-grave. But the gravestone's on top of the spring now. I c-c-can't move something that big by myself. Oh well… Anyway, go inside and p-p-pay your respects if you want to."

Group Link caught sight of the Goron ghost flying into the cave, and moved inside after him. Inside were several torches and pyramidal purple spires surrounding a large gravestone in the center; the ghost was floating right in front of the stone, waiting for them as they approached.

"_The soaring one said that the one who could see me would be arriving soon…_" he said. "_It seems that it turned out to be true. I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me. This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran. Yes… When I was alive… I marched off to Snowhead by myself, hoping that I could drive off a demon. It had been wreaking havoc on Goron Village… Then, the blizzard at Snowhead knocked me off the path and into the valley, and I dropped right onto a narrow, pointed spire of rock. …And now, here I am… As I am, I can do nothing but watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice… I am dead, yet I cannot rest._"

He sighed sadly.

"_So, you three can use magic? The soaring one told me that you could… I beg you! Bring me back to life with your magic! And if that is beyond your abilities, then instead… heal my sorrows. Please; any way you can do it will suffice…_"

Link nodded, drawing his magical ocarina. He then played a quick melody, soft and sad and beautiful, as the magic of the Song of Healing rang out with the notes. Darmani's ghost trembled as the magic coursed through him, healing his soul. Shining tears fell from his eyes, but then he nodded, an expression of grim determination on his face. There was a flash of light, and the ghost disappeared. In his place was a Goron mask, which floated where his face had been for a few seconds before falling to the ground at Link's feet.

"_Young Link… I leave my undying feelings with you… For the Goron Village… I have asked your assistance… I'm counting on you._"

Link nodded. "Don't worry, Mr. Darmani" he said. "We'll get it done." He picked up the mask. "Well, here goes nothin'…"

Link put the mask onto his face. Within seconds his body was suffused in magical light, and when it faded he had been transformed. Link's body was now that of Darmani's living one, minus the huge scar across the belly and with the addition of a green loincloth, red gloves & boots, and Link's ever-present green hat.

"You certainly look like your physical strength's increased in that form" Homura said. "But what else can you do with it?"

Link spent the next few minutes practicing with his new Goron body; his punches and kicks were now wreathed in Fire-type magic, when he curled up he was nearly impervious to damage, and he could also roll at a significant rate of speed, being shrouded in a fiery aura and – once moving fast enough – projecting spikes to turn himself into a high-speed whirling ball of spiky death. Once he'd gotten a good hold of his abilities, they exited the cave/shrine. Upon seeing Goron-Link, the shivering Goron's beady eyes went wide in shock.

"Y-You're… No! No, you're not the great Darmani, are you? T-Then whose grave did I dig? Did you come back to life from the warmth of the spring beneath your grave?"

Goron-Link looked to the girls. "Should we tell him?" he asked, his voice considerably deeper in this body.

"Just a moment" Homura replied, eyeing the frozen Goron. "…Miyako, your magical power is forming and controlling ice and snow. Can you free him?"

Miyako nodded and stepped toward the frozen Goron. She formed a few hand-seals, and then touched a magically-glowing palm to the block of ice. It shattered and melted away, freeing the Goron inside.

"A-Amazing!" the other Goron said. "…Wait. If your power is controlling ice and snow, and…"

"I didn't do this" Miyako cut him off. "This much ice and snow and cold is _way_ beyond my power; if I tried to make this huge mass of cold and ice enveloping this whole mountain by myself, I'd probably die from overexertion. And the same thing would probably happen if I tried to _dispel_ it by myself, too; sorry…"

"Oh…"

"D- Darmani?-!" the now-unfrozen Goron said with shock. "But how? I saw you buried!"

In response, Link sighed and pulled off the mask, undoing his transformation. The Gorons' jaws dropped.

"Darmani's ghost led us here" Link explained. "After explaining the situation to me, he entrusted me with his power and his will, so I can use it to put a stop to whatever dark force is creating this blizzard. We've already taken out the monster that was poisoning the Woodfall Swamp's waters."

"And odds are," Tatl cut in, "that another monster is causing this blizzard. So, we're gonna go kill it!"

"I see…" the first Goron said. "W-W-Well… good luck with that!"

"And p-p-please hurry!" the second Goron chimed in. "I don't wanna be frozen again!"

The group made their way down the cliff and then headed back to the Goron Village. There, they came up to the lone Goron standing on a ledge over a sealed door.

"It's cold…" he shivered. "Being the gatekeeper in this cold is h-h-hard… D-Do you folks wanna go in the shrine?"

"…Sure" Link replied. "Why not?"

"O-O-Okay. I'm gonna open it now. But I gotta c-c-close it soon s-so the cold won't get in, so h-hurry up."

The Goron took a break from his shivering to 'ground-pound' the roof above the door below, which slid open. The group hopped down and went in, Link putting on the Goron Mask as they entered. Once they were inside, it was somewhat warmer, but the Gorons inside were still plenty unhappy. The cause of this was readily apparent: the loud sound of a wailing baby coming from higher up, from a room at the top of the main chamber. As the group moved up the spiraling ramp that lined the main chamber's walls, and neared the decorated room at the top, the sound became near-earsplitting, such that Homura & Miyako put magic shields over their ears… and that _still_ wasn't enough to enable them to get any closer, so Goron-Link had to go into the next room alone.

Link winced as he entered the room. There was a Goron toddler seated on the shrine, wailing his little heart out at an incredible volume. Flanking him were two guards/caretakers who were huddled up, hands pressed to their ears so hard it's as if they were stuck there.

"_UWAAAAAAH!-!-! DADDYYYYYY!-!-! I'M COOOOOLD!-! DADDYYYYYY!-!-!_"

As Goron-Link came closer, the little one briefly got quieter.

"D-Darmi? …Darmi, where's my daddy? _WHERE'S MY DADDYYYYYY!-!-!_"

As the little one continued to wail, Goron-Link exited the chamber and pulled aside one of the Goron guards.

"Darmani?-!" he shouted, both from shock and from trying to be heard over the toddler's screaming.

"Where's the elder?-!" Goron-Link shouted back.

"He went out into Snowhead! He was troubled because you were… because we thought you were dead! But he hasn't come back! And now his son won't stop crying because he's lonely!"

"Don't worry, I'll try to find the elder! Which way did he go?-!"

"Toward the 'mountain village'!"

"The one with only one house?-!"

"Yeah, that's what I said when I saw it! Just head in that direction and keep an eye out!"

"Okay! Thanks!"

Link and the girls made their way out of the shrine, with Link resuming his real form as they left the village. Out in the Snowhead pass, they started looking around for any signs of the Elder, but 20 minutes of searching turned out nothing.

"Where the hell is he?-!" Tatl shouted. "He's a Goron! He can't be hard to spot!"

"Just keep looking" Link said as he walked by one of the huge masses of snow on the lower area. "We have to find him soon."

The boy leaned back against the snow mass… which began to crumble away at his touch. Puzzled, he turned around and gave it a solid kick, and all of the snow fell away to reveal an elderly Goron frozen in a block of ice.

"…Miss Miyako?"

"Got it."

The purple-haired _Puella Magi_ focused her power, and the ice shattered, freeing the old Goron.

"Hunh? What was I doin'?" He looked up at the sky. "Wah! It's already this late?-! I've gotta hurry!" He then took notice of the kids. "You're a few we don't see around much. Have you some business with an elder like me? I haven't the time to waste!"

"Why are you in such a rush?" Homura asked.

"It's this cold snap brought on by the disturbances at Snowhead that has crippled the village and frozen it in an icy grip… It's the lack of goods and supplies that is leading to the depopulation of Goron Village. And above all, it's the image of my own poor son, crying continually because of this biting cold. As the elder, I must do something about the situation the village has been plunged into. But this is our problem! We shall not rely on the strength of strangers!"

Group Link walked out of the Elder's visual range. Having an idea, Link put on the Goron Mask, assuming Darmani's form, and then walked back up to the Elder, who jumped back in shock.

"Oh! You're Darmani!-! But you're supposed to be dead! Am I hallucinating? Maybe this is also the doing of Snowhead's magic… Hmph. I've been made a fool of. But… that's impossible. I refuse to flinch. If I can see past the illusion, you'll vanish in an instant!"

"Elder, please listen" Goron-Link said. "Your son back at the shrine is crying as hard and as loud as he can. He's lonely because he wants you back."

"My son is crying because he misses me? My little boy… Oh, forgive me, my child! Your father has important work to do! Darmani… Be you a ghost or a figment of my imagination, I no longer care. If you feel pity for my crying son… then please quietly lull my son to sleep with this song I am about to play on my drum. It is the very same melody that was often played for you when you were young…"

The Elder pulled out a drum and set it down, playing a trio of notes. However, he struggled, growing increasingly frustrated as he started over a few times, only to repeatedly fail to keep going.

"Oh, it's no use!" he cried. "I can only remember the beginning! It's those three notes, played twice in a row. …It's not that I forgot it; it's just so cold that I can't play very well… Yes… Anyway, I'm counting on you."

Goron-Link, with the girls in tow, headed back to the village, using a ground-pound to signal the shrine door to open. They headed in, up to the top of the structure, and the girls again stayed back due to the Goron toddler's crying being just too loud to endure. Drawing close, Goron-Link conjured the set of enchanted drums his ocarina had transformed into in this form, and played the note progression. The little Goron's crying softened.

"T-That's…" he sniffled. "That's the song daddy always plays for me before I go to sleep… I'll sing the next part."

The Goron toddler stood up, cleared his throat, and sang out the notes Link had played, followed by two more descending notes. When Goron-Link then played the notes on his drums, the magic imbued within them turned the melody into a spell-song that soothed all who heard it. The little Goron sat back, sleepy and content.

"It's just like… daddy's… right… beside me…"

At long last, the young Goron fell asleep. Seconds later, the two guards on either side finally succumbed to exhaustion and joined him in slumber. Link shrugged his shoulders and headed out, and he & the girls moved on.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

After a few minor quests, the group followed along through Snowhead, soon reaching the narrow winding path leading up to Snowfall Temple. There was a powerful, cold wind blowing down the path at regular intervals, and it seemed to be coming from the temple itself. Homura put on her Lens of Truth and…

"Oh… You have _got_ to be kidding me… A giant, invisible Goron? …_What_? Why is there a giant Goron sitting on the temple? Why and how is he invisible? Why is he blowing on the path, and why is his breath an icy blizzard? How do Gorons even _get_ that big? This… This is completely nonsensical! This is like a random obstacle with no bearing on the plot that you see in old video games just to randomly inconvenience the player! W-What is this, I don't even…"

As poor Homura struggled to wrap her head around the absurdity of the situation, Link assumed his Goron form and pulled out his enchanted drums. He played the Goron Lullaby, and the magic music rang out through the valley. The giant Goron became visible, now looking quite sleepy. He fought against it briefly, but soon succumbed to slumber. As he dozed off, he toppled off the side of the temple, landing in the ravine far below; his massive size and Goron toughness protected him from injury, and he didn't even wake up from the landing.

With the way clear, Group Link made their way along the path. Giant snowballs were rolling/tumbling their way, but Link's Goron form made for an excellent shield to protect the girls and himself from harm. Eventually they reached the base of the temple and moved up the long, narrow ramp that circled upward around the structure, dodging or smashing rolling snowballs along the way. They reached the top, and entered the temple.

Inside the initial small chamber, several fuzzy white blobs 'attacked' Link, who simply used a Goron Pound to clear them all out. He then used his Goron strength to shatter the ice stalagmites blocking the way forward, and then to push a heavy stone block forward into the hallway until it slid into a slot on the floor, unblocking the way. The next little room was occupied by a White Wolfos, but a solid Fire Punch from Goron-Link took it out. Of the room's three doors, the group headed through the door on the right (the only one not locked or blocked), into a room with an old bridge over a long drop into a lava pool below, with the bridge flanked by bizarre ice-based magical construct-creatures that blew icy wind across the bridge at varying intervals. Goron-Link timed it just right and pulled a Goron Roll across the bridge, leaping a gap at the end, while Homura and Miyako chakra-leapt along the walls. The trio hopped across a short gap and moved upstairs.

The next, multi-leveled room had a few odd large rat-like creatures with what looked like old-cartoon-style bombs at the tips of their tails. Link charged in and used a Goron Fire Punch to smash the 'Bombchu' away, and then immediately curled up to defend himself from the ensuing explosion. He detached the Goron Mask, assuming his normal form, and moved over to the lone treasure chest in the room, which held an enchanted map of the temple. They then headed back downstairs, hopped across the gap, and went through the door on the right (left if from the room's original entrance).

They came into the massive central chamber of Snowfall Temple, with multiple doors on multiple levels. After marveling at the size of the room a little, they moved across this level's central platform and passed through a gold-framed door straight ahead. In the next room, Link pulled a large stone block out of an alcove, moving it along a depression in the floor and into another 'slot' on the other side of the room, and then grabbed the Small Key that had been hidden behind the block. They went back to the main room and moved right, toward a red-framed door blocked by a chunk of ice. Homura used a basic Fire spell to melt the ice, and they passed through. The door led back to the second little room of the temple, where the White Wolfos had been. Link used the Small Key he'd found to unlock the locked door, and they passed through.

The next room had a push-blocks-around track/area on the floor [author failed to find a more eloquent and less videogame-y way to describe it], with a few large stone blocks frozen in massive hunks of ice, and a treasure chest that contained the temple's magic compass. The far wall had several large cracks on it, so Link pulled out a Bomb and chucked it, blowing away the weak wall and revealing a staircase. Up the stairs, the next room had several short pillars of rock with ice formations atop them; Miyako shattered the ice, enabling the group to climb up and hop across the room. The compass pointed them to a large mound of snow, which Homura melted to reveal a Small Key.

The next room had a lower area populated by a pack of White Boes. There was another door across the way, and for the girls – Homura carrying Link – it was an easy jump across the gap. The door led back to the huge central chamber, on the next floor up. Link assumed his Goron Form and roll-jumped over the gap up ahead. Faced with a door blocked by super-thick ice, he rolled to the right, along a curved slope on the side of the wall, and – led by the Compass – across the room to jump another gap and reach the door across it; the girls followed by simply chakra-leaping up to his position, and they passed through the door.

The next room was square-shaped and mostly empty other than a circular mural of sorts in the center of the floor, and four glowing square-shaped tiles at the four corners of the room. As they stepped in, the doors locked, and from one of the glowing squares emerged a wizened old humanoid creature with blue skin and glowing yellow eyes, dressed in a dark-red and carrying a gnarled old wooden staff with a blue gem set into the top. He fired a burst of ice at the group, who dodged as it impacted the floor, spreading slippery ice around where it hit; he then did a silly-looking dance spinning around in circles a few times, and vanished down into the tile mid-spin.

**MINI-BOSS – Wizzrobe**

Homura pulled out and shouldered her crossbow, looking around the room. Sure enough, the Wizzrobe appeared from another warp tile across the room. He fired a blast of ice which she countered with a fire burst, and then as he spun around she fired a crossbow bolt that hit him in the butt, making him shriek and then vanish into the tile. He reappeared again from a different angle, and Miyako intercepted his ice blast with one of her own, followed by a fusillade of ice daggers that he deflected with a spin of his staff. Then Homura hit him with a single Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_, and he retreated into the room's warp grid again.

The Wizzrobe appeared again, but this time he moved around between the tiles while producing afterimages and illusory duplicates of himself. Confused by the display, Goron-Link almost got hit from behind by an ice blast, only for Miyako to strike it out of the air with her hammer. The evil being was heard cackling from multiple directions. Goron-Link closed his eyes, calming himself and focusing…

The Wizzrobe appeared, pointing his staff at Homura and Miyako, who were both busy trying to dodge fake attacks from the illusions. He chuckled as he prepared a powerful freezing blast. Suddenly, though, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and saw Goron-Link coming at him with a flaming fist. The Wizzrobe didn't have time to dodge before Link's burning punch smashed into him with incredible force, slamming him into the wall with a splat. He crumpled to the floor and vanished in a burst of pale-blue fire. The doors unlocked, and a treasure chest magically appeared in the center of the room. Link returned to his real form and opened the chest, and pulled out what looked like a red arrowhead-shaped gem.

"I remember this charm!" he said. "It lets me shoot arrows that are enchanted with fire!"

"B-But can't Homura already do that for you?" Miyako asked.

"I'm sure it will come in handy" Homura replied. "I won't always be around to help him whenever he needs a Fire-based attack."

Link pocketed the enchanted charm, and the trio (plus Tatl) headed through the door back into the central chamber. The compass pointed them down to the bottom of the chamber; Miyako carried Link as she and Homura ninja-leapt their way down the levels and to the bottom. They moved past the small lava pools and headed up the stairs on the east side, up to the chamber's first floor. Two green-framed doors up ahead were blocked by ice. Link used a Fire Arrow to melt the left-hand ice, and the group passed through into a room with multiple rock platforms 'guarded' by a trio of the odd ice-statue constructs breathing streams of extreme cold. Link killed one with a Fire Arrow, while Homura used fire bursts to destroy the other two. There were three unlit torches around the room, and Homura decided to save Link's arrow supply by lighting all three with her own Fire magic. Once they were lit, the central door unlocked, and the group hopped across the platforms and passed through.

The door led to a small barred-off area on the side of the central chamber, with a heavy switch in the middle. The trio's combined weight wasn't enough to press it down, but a Goron Ground-Pound was. After it was pressed, the pillar in the center of the room rapidly rose all the way up. The group headed back through the previous room and out into the central chamber, moving right and through a red door that led back to the temple's second room. From there they returned to the bridge room, where the living ice statues had either 'respawned' or been replaced; Homura melted them with a Fire spell, and this time their destruction triggered the appearance of a chest containing a Small Key. Led by the magic compass, they headed back up the left-hand stairs into the room where they'd found the Dungeon Map, and Miyako carried Link as she & Homura leapt up to the second level of the room, heading through the door on the right.

Back in the central chamber, they went right, and Miyako used her hammer to shatter a wall of ice blocking a staircase. Up the staircase and then ninja-running along the wall to the right (Link probably could've Goron-Rolled the snowy slope, but there was no catch-net if he failed), they used a Small Key on the locked door an entered a snow-covered room with rock pillars jutting up from the ground, and populated by bizarre snow-beasts.

"Muk made of snow?" Miyako thought aloud, thinking of a certain handheld game series' Poison-type living mound of sludge, and noticing the striking similarity in shape and size these beings had.

"What's a Muk?" Tatl asked. "These're called 'Eenos'. They can form and toss boulders of compacted snow, so watch out!"

One of the Eenos promptly did just that, but the snowball was flash-vaporized by a burst of fire launched from Homura's fist. Link countered with a slash of his sword that destroyed the monster, followed by a Fire Arrow fired at the second, larger Eeno right as it was preparing its own attack, the released magical flames quickly consuming the snow-beast. Another Fire Arrow melted a hunk of ice blocking some stairs to the north, and the group went up them into a plain room populated by two Dinofols, which immediately attacked them. Link assumed his Goron Form, using his armored rocky body to block one Dinofol's blade and then counter with a Fire Punch to the face that crushed the lizard-man's skull, while Miyako froze the second Dinofol's feet to the floor, and as it tried to free itself Homura put a crossbow bolt between its eyes. The kids exited through the north door, coming out toward the top of the central chamber and crossing the cylindrical platform in the middle to reach the door on the other side. Inside they found an ornately-decorated chest that gave up the Boss Key, followed by a set of stairs that led back to the central chamber.

The Boss Door was visible up at the top of the chamber. Rather than try to find a long way to reach it, Homura grabbed hold of Link, and she & Miyako made their way up the walls and to the top level, allowing little Link to use the Key to unlock the door. They came out into a massive circular chamber that surrounded the temple's main central area. To their right was a huge hunk of ice, and frozen within it was a huge quadrupedal robot of sorts, with multicolored armor plating (primarily dark blue) and a somewhat-humanlike face with two large, sharp horns. Upon seeing them, its eyes glowed red, and the ice shattered as it broke free, its body crackling with electricity.

**Masked Mechanical Monster – GOHT**

The giant robot goat charged forward, knocking the trio out of its way as it began charging down the circuit. Link pulled out and put on the Goron mask, and began Goron-Rolling after the monster. He soon caught up to it, getting steadily closer until he managed to ram into one of its legs. Goht lashed out with a kick that forced Link to slow down. The beast sped up, only to complete a circuit and charge right into an ice trap laid by Miyako, making it lose its footing and slide to a stop in the dirt. Goron-Link took the opportunity given to him, rolling up to Goht's side and lashing out with Fire Punches. After a few blows, Goht unleashed an electrical field around itself, forcing Link and the girls back as it got to its feet and started moving again, with Link again giving chase.

As Goht charged ahead, it started kicking rocks back in Goron-Link's direction, making the rolling hero have to shift to the side as he moved in order to avoid the projectiles. As it neared the completion of its second circuit, a rocket fired by Homura struck it in the side; it stumbled, damaged, but kept moving. As Link gained on Goht, it fired a zigzagging orb of electric power back at him, forcing him to slow a little and change course to avoid being zapped. Another ice trap from Miyako slowed Goht down again, allowing Goron-Link to roll off a 'ramp' of rock and land on the mechanical menace's back, his rapidly-revolving body grinding his manifested spikes into the hostile machine's body and tearing through metal plating.

Goht again discharged its field while shaking Link off, and took off running once more. This time, in addition to rocks, it began dropping bombs in its wake, forcing Goron-Link to take evasive actions as he rolled after it. Another rocket from Homura struck Goht as it passed the entrance, leaving it heavily damaged. Goron-Link launched off another ramp, landing on Goht's back and grabbing hold. He channeled his Goron form's fire magic into his fist, and with all his might he brought it down on the back of Goht's head. His blow caved in the robo-beast's cranium, and it lost its footing and slid along the ground to a stop, shedding parts and shooting out sparks. Goron-Link jumped off and rolled away just as Goht's power core detonated, destroying the construct once and for all. Miyako and Homura came hurrying up as Link returned to his normal form.

The trio walked over to the floating mask that was once Goht's face, and again the mysterious blue light enveloped them. They found themselves in a mysterious mist-clouded realm like where they were taken after slaying Odolwa, only this time with a white theme rather than green. Another of the Giants was faintly visible across the mists in the distance.

"What… What exactly are all of you?" Tatl said.

"GU…AR…DI…AN…S…"

"…Guardians? …So you're protective deities; that's why you're in the temples. But… why are you…"

Before Tatl could finish her question, the group was warped out of this strange realm. The light deposited them just outside the temple. All around them, all over the mountain, the unnatural snow and cold began to leave, Goht's defeat and the second Giant's freedom removing the taint from the local climate. In the village, Gorons rejoiced as the deadly cold retreated, returning to them the warmth that their land was meant to have.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Goron Village**

**40 Minutes Later**

"…And that's where we are now, Elder."

Link and the girls had returned to the Goron Village with Link in his Darmani-Goron form and had everyone gather, and then had proceeded to reveal himself and explain in detail the situation thus far. The fact that Darmani had _not_ risen from the dead to save the village in its hour of need put a damper on some of the Gorons' spirits, but…

"You…" the Goron Elder spoke. "More than Darmani's form… Darmani entrusted you, boy, with his power and his will. …He was right to. Despite your youth, you have displayed courage and strength mightier than our finest warriors. And now you seek to use that power to save this entire world… as you have saved your own world not long ago. …I believe you can do it. Link… You are a hero the likes of which only comes around once every several generations. You saved our people from a cold death, and for that we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. I cannot do much to repay you, but…"

The Elder's hands glowed with magical energy, and soon Link's body did as well.

"I have magically enhanced your body's natural durability; you won't be as tough as when you assume Darmani's form, but you will be able to take a little more damage. I have also given a slight enhancement to your body's tolerance of high temperatures; again, you cannot go walking through lava like we Gorons can, but it could save you from a Fire-based attack, or give you a few precious seconds to escape or take your Goron form if tossed into an area of dangerous heat."

"Thank you, Elder" Link bowed. "I promise to use your gifts wisely."

The old man nodded. "We wish you luck on your journey, Bearer of the Triforce of Courage. May the spirits watch over you…"

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Next Time (which may take a while since I'm doing _Wind Waker_, _X Version_, and a translation thing all at once): A sword upgrade, and the graveyard.


	4. Great Bay

Sorry for another wait; this time, I had so much stuff to do I had to stop work on this chapter entirely until I finished some of my other tasks. And, sadly, the next chapter will probably take a while, too.

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Day 1 – 6:35 PM**

**Heading for Ikana Graveyard**

The quartet of Link, Tatl, Homura, and Miyako headed for their next destination. Link pulled his newly-upgraded 'Gilded Sword' out, admiring the way it reflected the twilight glow. Thanks to Tatl and Homura working together to cast a Haste spell encompassing the smithing brothers' workshop, the two-day upgrading process had been hurried along to a few hours' time, without the knowledge of those inside. The silver blade had a golden diamond-like pattern running up the blade on either side of the weapon, with a bit of golden alloy set into the hilt as well. It looked really fancy, _and_ the bit of magical energy inherent in Goron Gold toughened the blade and slightly enhanced its magical-damage output and physical sharpness. …The 'Stone Mask' Link had acquired from that strange lone guard, thanks to the Lens of Truth, was a nice addition to his arsenal too, he supposed.

As they entered the graveyard, walking amongst the headstones was a man with a hunched-over shuffling posture and… less-than-ideal facial features.

"Hello!" he said. "I am Dampe, the gravekeeper who watches over this graveyard. My face is frightening, but I am not a bad person! All the graves here belong to the family members of the King of Ikana Castle, a place that lies beyond the mountains. Even nowadays, the ghosts come out at night. It is a frightening graveyard."

Curious, the kids moved deeper into the graveyard, as the Sun continued to set. Towards the back of the graveyard was a structure with a door in the side of it, a mass of magical flame overtop, and an archway that was blocked by a massive skeleton of some sort, an officer's hat of some kind perch atop the skull. Set into a flat gravestone beside the skeleton were the words 'Ye who would awaken me, battle me and I will extinguish the furious flame'. Link pulled out his enchanted ocarina and played the Sonata of Awakening, and the spell-song's magic flowed into the skeleton, which abruptly came to life, eyes glowing orange as it tore apart the stone arch over it as it stood up.

The huge skeleton began retreating up the path, and the group gave chase, only to be stopped by a wall of conjured fire that sprang up in their way, as a pair of human-sized versions of the big skeleton. Link fired an arrow at the giant one's leg, making him trip and stunning him, while Miyako's hammer and Homura's crossbow made short work of the little ones. The fire wall came down, and Link charged at the giant skeleton. The massive enemy tried to crush Link with a downward swing of its huge claws, only for the boy to roll to the side and then counter with a sword-slash to the wrists. Link then jumped onto and ran up the skeletal foe's stunned arms, and dealt a punishing combo to its ribcage, the last blow sending the creature hurtling backward into the pass' rock wall. As it slumped to the ground and Link approached with weapon drawn, the skeleton raised its hands forward in surrender.

"Wait!" it said. "It is my loss! Sheathe your weapon… Come with me, please."

The huge skeleton-beast walked back toward where he had been 'resting', ushering the kids to climb up onto the structure, so that they were at eye level with him.

"I commanded the army of Ikana Kingdom atop the hill" he said. "I am called Skull Keeta. Since being shamed by loss in a battle within my kingdom… I have waited here for one to come and awaken my soul. Young swordsman with an enchanted blade, who has awakened and deftly defeated me… I shall rely on you to fulfill my request. I ask you to take my soul, which resides in the fiercely burning flame, and convey my words to my men, who, even in death, remain loyal to me. Tell them the war has ended… Then I shall be able to drift quietly into sleep…"

He turned to look at the treasure chest surrounded by flames, and then back to Link, whom he saluted.

"May I take leave, sir?" he asked.

After a few seconds, Link returned the salute and nodded.

"Thank you…"

The Skull Keeta then collapsed into a pile of bones, his spirit passing on. Behind where he'd been, the flames surrounding the treasure chest went out. The trio hopped across the gap and opened the chest, pulling out a downsized version of the rather complex bone-themed hat that the Keeta had been wearing. Link put it on the turned to the girls.

"It looks silly" Homura said bluntly. "But it's also enchanted. Maybe the littler ones will think you're him and listen to you."

They jumped down and headed back into the graveyard. Within a minute, the Sun finished setting. Soon, the Skull Keeta's undead men began to crawl out from beneath the earth, skeletons wearing the tattered remains of old armor. The girls hid themselves as Link donned the Skull Captain's Hat, walking amongst the ghost soldiers as they guarded the area, heading for a trio marching in formation around a large gravestone. As Link approached, one of them turned to face him.

"Huh? Aah! Captain, sir!-! Excuse me, sir! Everyone, give the Captain your full attention!"

He and the other two Stalchildren saluted.

"We haven't seen you in some time, sir!" the Stalchild continued. "As per your orders, sir, we've been guarding these graves closely. We have all been expecting your next order, sir. What shall we do?"

"…Open it" Link commanded.

"Open it, sir? …Yes, sir! Alright, boys! Heave-ho!"

The three Stalchildren shoved the gravestone aside, revealing a hole that dropped into an underground chamber. They leapt in, and Link followed them. Underground, Link hopped across a few platforms and hurried through a doorway, and in the next room he was attacked by a pack of dark-magic-construct bats. As they all dive-bombed him, though, he unleashed a Spin Attack that sliced them all apart in one go. A chest appeared containing a sizable amount of rupees, but the doorway ahead remained barred. Noticing a trio of unlit torches, Link used Fire Arrows to light them, and the doorway was unbarred. As he entered the next room, he saw a large, bronze-armored status wielding a huge ax standing in the center of the room. As he drew close, the 'statue' woke up and attacked, and Link rolled back to avoid being vertically bisected by the ax-blade.

**Mini-Boss – IRON KNUCKLE**

Link charged forward, leaping over a swing of the axe and landing a few heavy blows on the Iron Knuckle's heavy armor, damaging it but not breaking through. The boy used his shield to block a kick that sent him skidding back, and then hopped to the side to dodge another axe blow, countering with a thrusting stab that hit a joint between the armor's plates. He slid behind the armored enemy and struck another joint, and the bulky armor came detached and fell to the floor. The Iron Knuckle swung its axe in a wide arc, and Link barely ducked under it in time. While the foe was still unbalanced from its heavy swing, Link got in close and unleashed a flurry of slashing blows on its now-unarmored torso, finishing with a stab through the heart. The Iron Knuckle roared out and then collapsed.

The curtain at the back of the room rose up, revealing a large tombstone with an inscription in it, shrouded in blue mist.

"_Are you the one who freed my soul?_" a voice asked.

A ghost appeared in front of the tombstone, wearing green robes, carrying a conductor's baton, and even the ethereal detail-blurring nature of his current spectral form couldn't hide the righteous red moustache he bore.

"_I am the composer called Flat_" he introduced himself. "_I served the Ikana royal family. The songs connected to the royal family that remain here were all composed by my brother and I. Oh… Sharp, my dear brother… He sold his soul and was the one who sealed me in here… You who do not fear the dead, learn well the song that is inscribed behind me… And if you ever meet my brother, I'd like you to inform him… the thousand years of raindrops summoned by my song are my tears; the thunder that shakes the earth is my anger! This song… will cleanse his cursed, black soul…_"

Link walked up to the tombstone, reading the note progression that he quickly recognized from his previous adventure. Pulling out his ocarina, he played the tune inscribed there, and the spell-song of the Song of Storms blew away the cursed mist surrounding him. With tune in mind, he left to return to the surface. He and the girls would return to the ranch for the night, and first thing tomorrow they would set out for their next major task.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Day 2 – 08:45 Hours**

**Great Bay – Beach**

The group walked along the sandy coast, occasionally pausing to quickly kill the little barnacle-like monsters that emerged and tried to impede their progress. The sea was murky and contaminated; Tatl claimed it was induced by dark magic, and that it was probably coming from the temple a little ways out to sea.

"Look at those seagulls" Homura pointed. "What is that they're circling?"

A flock of gulls were indeed circling over something bluish-white about 100 feet out. Tatl flew over to investigate, and after a few seconds she made a beeline back to the others.

"It's a Zora!" she exclaimed. "He's hurt bad! He needs help!"

Homura and Miyako ran over (Link watched as the bottoms of their feet glowed faintly with energy as they ran across the surface of the water) to the injured Zora, lifting him out and carrying him to the shore. A fish-skeleton guitar was slung across his back, and a dagger stained with blood was strapped to his waist. He had multiple deep stab wounds in his chest and back, and it seemed he had lost a great deal of blood. They laid him out on the dry sand.

"Is there a-anything we can do?" Miyako asked.

Homura shook her head. "Madoka and Sayaka are the ones with healing magic."

Link walked over to the Zora and knelt down. "Who are you?" he asked. "How did this happen to you?"

"My…" the young fish-man took a ragged gasp, straining to talk. "My name is Mikau… guitarist of the Zora band, the… Indigo-gos… We were supposed to… perform at the carnival soon… O-Our vocalist, Lulu… she and I are… close… She laid her eggs recently, but… the Gerudo Pirates egg-napped them. Lulu lost her voice because of… her despair over that, and I… w-went out to rescue our children. But… I failed. They defeated me, did… _this_ to me… I can't go on… I couldn't save Lulu's children… I'm going to die… with that failure staining my spirit… Please… If you can, find some way… to save our eggs… and heal my soul…"

He coughed out blood, his body already beginning to shut down. Link somberly pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the Song of Healing. Mikau's eyes went wide as the spell-song's music moved through him. Then, an expression of peace and understanding formed on his face as his body faded away into motes of light. In his place was a mask of his face, resting at Link's feet. Mikau's ghost appeared nearby.

"Please save our eggs…" he said. "I'm counting on you kids…"

As Mikau's ghost then faded away, Link looked at the mask for a few seconds before then putting it on. A flash of light enveloped him, and when it faded he had been transformed. He now looked almost exactly like Mikau, as a young-adult male Zora wearing a green cloth/skirt, with Link's usual boots & gloves, and a green head-tail, along with two large, sharp, green & yellow fins sticking out of his forearms. He moved around a little, getting used to his new body. Before long, he discovered the ability to detach and launch his forearm-finds as magically-guided, bladed boomerang-like weapons, as well as the power to conjure a rotating barrier of electrical magic around his body. And of course, as the Zora were powerful swimmers and amphibious, he would be able to swim with great speed without worrying about oxygen while in this form.

"The Gerudo Pirates' base is to the north, I think" Tatl said. "Let's get moving."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Day 2 – 09:10 Hours**

**Gerudo Lagoon**

Perched atop the cliffs, the trio (and Tatl) looked down at what was in store for them. Three boats circled the lagoon's outer edge, each manned by a Geduro Pirate. There were no immediately-visible entrances to the fortress above the water, but under the water to the north a gate was visible, and on the western edge of the area on a small patch of ground above the water there was a heavy switch. They made their way along the cliff-top until they were right over the switch, and waited until there was a gap in the guards' patrols. Homura froze time, grabbed Link and chakra-ran down the wall to the switch. She quickly unfroze time, allowing Link to take his Goron form and pound the switch, removing the bars that blocked the underwater entrance, and then return to his normal form; she picked him back up, refroze time, and moved back up to rejoin Miyako. The trio lay on their bellies at the edge of the drop, heads poking out to look out over the area.

"Well that's okay and all," Miyako said, "b-but how are we gonna get in there? I mean, Link c-can breathe underwater and move fast with his Zora form, but what about me and H- Homura-san?"

"Maybe I could… use a time-based spell to make air bubbles around our heads?" Homura suggested, her tone making it clear she was grasping at straws.

"Maybe I could help."

The new voice made the three others jump in surprise, as they turned to see the new addition who had snuck in and was now laying next to Miyako without them having noticed his arrival. He had spiky brown hair and a predominantly-black and -red outfit.

"Yo" the boy said.

"S-Sora" Miyako breathed out, hand to her heart. "You scared the heck out of us."

"Sorry" the Kingdom Key's chosen wielder said sheepishly. "I got here a little while ago, and the lady at the ranch explained everything to me, so here I am. What's going on right now? What do we need to get to that's inside this pirate fortress?"

"There's a race of amphibious people called the Zora who live on this world" Homura replied. "These pirates have kidnapped some of their eggs. We found this out from a father-to-be of the eggs who tried to get them back but the pirates mortally wounded him; he gave Link the ability to take Zora form, and then died. The lone unlocked entrance to the fortress is underwater, so I suppose that means that Link & Tatl are going in without us…"

"I could go with them" Sora replied. "I have a water-optimized transformation, a mer-boy. I used it all the time back in the world of Atlantica; I recently learned how to tap into it at will rather than Donald's enchantment triggering it automatically. Link & I will use our water forms to get in there, and if we find any above-water entrances for you girls we'll unlock 'em for you."

"…Very well. Be careful, and try to stay hidden for as long as possible; if they find out you're in there, they'll raise the alarm, and getting in and out will become far more difficult."

**-**_**Break**_**-**

Link and Sora emerged from the water, carefully making their way past spike-covered mines as they crawled up onto the platform, returning to their normal forms. They headed upstairs, shoving a few barrels out of the way, and Sora used a Strike Raid to hit a switch across the way, opening a gate in the water below and revealing the next path. The two boys leapt into the water, assuming their aquatic forms, and swam on. They sped through the next channel, slipping past mines and a vortex, and reached a ladder at the end, shifting their normal forms and climbing up. In the next little room, they hit a switch to create a water geyser which they rode up into the next room. They climbed up a ladder to reach a telescope, looking out on the courtyard below that was crawling with guards. Turning around, Link used a few arrows to take out a pair of spiked mines hanging from the ceiling, and then another to hit a switch that unlocked a door below. The duo jumped down and headed through.

They came out onto a catwalk that circled around over the lagoon; thankfully, none of the guards in the boats below looked up. As they followed along the catwalk, Homura and Miyako leapt down to join them, and they passed through the next doorway. Tatl cast a guidance spell, which pointed to a doorway high up in the courtyard, across the narrow wooden bridge that was being patrolled by a pirate guard. Link put on his Stone Mask and made his way for the central ladder, invisible to the Gerudo patrolling around him, while Sora, Miyako, and Homura made their way up the walls and around the area. As they neared the target door, Sora cast a Sleepra spell on the bridge-patrolling pirate, and Link hopped over her dozing form as he & the others regrouped at and went through the door.

Inside, they came upon a small barred window overlooking a room below, where a Gerudo Pirate was speaking to another one who was seated on a 'throne' (a red sofa).

"Did you find the rest of the eggs?" the pirate leader asked.

"…N-No" the underling replied. "B-But… that's beca-"

"What are you trying to pull here?-! If people here we lost the treasure we stole, we'll be a laughingstock!"

"Yes, b-but Mistress Aveil… The sea is strangely murky where we were attacked by the serpents…"

"Silence! That's why the Zoras can't send for any help! Now that the eggs are gone, the Zoras should be frantically searching for them. If we don't hurry, the Zoras will get to them before _we_ do! We have four eggs here now. Now go find the other three before those sea serpents eat them!"

"…Yes, ma'am…"

As the lesser pirate began to leave…

"Wait!-! …The Zora eggs are the only clue we have about that dragon cloud floating over the bay… If what that strange, masked imp says is true… and if we can get our hands on the treasure that lies within the temple in that cloud…"

"Then we can spend the rest of our days living in luxury!" the now-giddy underling finished.

"So get a move on and find them! _Now!-!_"

"There's a treasure chest in there" Sora whispered as he pointed to the object in the middle of the room, with two guards flanking it.

"How do we get those women to clear out?" Miyako asked.

"There's how" Link replied as he pointed to a wasps' nest hanging from the ceiling over the pirate group. He readied an arrow and shot the part of the nest attaching it to the ceiling. The nest crashed to the floor, and a horde of angry giant wasps emerged. Aveil and her guards ran screaming from the room as the massive insects pursued them.

Tatl's guidance spell led them back out into the courtyard; they leapt down to the right and entered the door into Aveil's 'office', which was now vacant. They hurried over to the treasure chest and opened it, revealing a gold-plated object composed of a gripping handle attached to a hooked object of some sort, with a subspace-stored chain connecting the two. Link grinned.

"Awesome! A Hookshot! I remember this thing!"

"What's it do?" Sora asked.

"Hey, there's a Zora egg in this tank!" Miyako called out.

Sure enough, the nearby fish tank had a soft-shelled spherical object, white with blue markings, about the size of an adult's fist, sitting in it. Link used his Hookshot on the wooden board hanging over the tank in order to drop in, donning the Zora Mask as he entered the water. The egg didn't look very healthy, but a quick Cure spell from Sora fixed that. Homura pulled a good-sized empty tank out of her subspace storage and then filled it with some of the office tank's water; the egg was placed in the new tank, which was then placed back in Homura's storage dimension.

The group exited Aveil's office, heading back out into the courtyard. They went south, and Link used his Hookshot to cross a gap and move up onto a higher platform. They continued moving to the southeast corner, and entered a door there. The next room had a maze of barrels patrolled by a lone guard; a Sleep spell from Sora took her out of the picture, and the group hurried into the next room. As they walked across the room, Sora suddenly conjured his Keyblade and spun to block a falling strike from a Gerudo Pirate who'd been hiding on the ceiling; he then countered with a strike with the flat of his blade, and then the pirate was sent flying into a wall by a blow from Miyako's hammer, slumping to the ground out cold. The next room had another fish-tank with another Zora egg, which was carefully retrieved and put into the subspace-stored tank with the first one. They then exited out to the west.

Led by Tatl, they carefully used the Stone Mask, Homura's time-stop power, Sleep spells, the Hookshot, and ninja-leaps to make their way to the northwest corner of the courtyard, entering the higher-up doorway there. The room had a T-shaped main portion with a patrolling guard who was quickly and quietly incapacitated by Sora; the group then took the left path to another room. As they moved through the next empty room, another Pirate Warrior leapt down from the ceiling. While she was still in the air, Homura froze time, pointed her palm at the falling pirate, and charged up a powerful burst of raw offensive magic. She fired it, unfroze time, and watched as the surprised pirate took the blast head-on, being sent flying in an arc to crash against the far wall, unconscious. The group moved on through the next door.

The next room held the third Zora egg, this one guarded by a school of skeleton-fish. Link took his Zora form and jumped in, using his Electric Barrier to quickly dispose of the hostile fish, and then retrieved the third egg, placing it with the other two in Homura's subspace. The nearby exit led back into the courtyard, and the group cautiously made their way to the northeast upper level, a stun-spell being used on the lone guard outside the door there. The door they needed to get to was in the opposite corner of the room, and three guards patrolled below. Homura gestured everyone to grab hold of her, and then froze time. Carefully, without letting go, they all moved past the frozen guards and to the other door, passing through and only unfreezing time once the door was closed.

Another Pirate Warrior was in the next room, but this time there was no catching her off-guard. She lunged at Sora and Link, her twin scimitars clashing with their blades. She then leapt back to dodge a shot from Homura's crossbow, and then used her blades to block a swing of Miyako's hammer, skidding back on her feet from the force of the hit. A hit from Link's boomerang stunned her, and Sora then rushed in and landed a combo of blows with his Keyblade. A handful of ice _senbon_ thrown by Miyako did further damage, and Homura finished it with a magic-charged punch that KO-ed the pirate. The group moved on into the next room, and rescued the last of the fortress' Zora eggs.

"Alright" Link said. "Let's get outta this place."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Great Bay Coast**

**Marine Research Lab**

**10:35 Hours**

"Thank you for letting us keep the eggs safe here, Mister" Link said to the scientist.

"Oh, it's quite alright, my boy" the older man replied. "They'll be safe now, that's my guarantee! But you still have three more to find, you said?"

"Yes" Homura replied. "We have a general idea on where to find them, but…"

"Once we _do_ find 'em we'll bring 'em back here" Sora said.

"Of course, of course. Do hurry, kids; the water's been unusually warm lately, and Zora eggs are rather sensitive to temperature changes. Who knows how long they'll last…?"

**-**_**Break**_**-**

"Okay" Tatl said. "We need to get to Pinnacle Rock. That's where the sea-serpents dwell. The entrance is underwater, so I'm afraid you girls will have to follow along on the water's surface while following Link and Sora in their aquatic forms. …The other problem is: how are we gonna find where we need to go when the water's so unusually murky?"

"Maybe it's those rocks sticking out of the water?" Sora suggested, pointing out to the rock spires visible a hundred meters or so out.

Miyako created an ice raft and carried everyone out to the zone, over the murky water. Soon, they came across an area of comparatively-clear water, revealing a massive underwater sinkhole. Relatively small holes lined the walls of the sinkhole, and Homura swore she saw a flash of movement in one of them.

"Those have to be the sea serpents' nests" she said. "Which means the Zora eggs are likely down there."

"We'll go down and handle them" Sora replied. "And we'll bring the eggs back up as we find them."

Sora made a magic-powered flipping leap off the ice raft, transforming into his merman form in midair and landing with a splash. Link put on his Zora Mask and followed the older boy down into the sinkhole. As they neared one of the holes, a _massive_ eel-like creature emerged from it, snapping its jaws at the two heroes, who narrowly dodged being eaten and then countered with a Strike Raid and Zora-Link's boomerang fin-blades. The dark creature's head was severed from its body, dropping down into the sinkhole, the body soon sliding out to follow it. Mer-Sora and Zora-Link swam into its nest, and found a Zora egg alive and intact. Link took it and carried it up to the surface, allowing Homura to stow it, and then went back down to help Sora.

Sora and Link repeated this process a few more times, soon rescuing the other two eggs, and everyone hurried back to the Marine Research Lab, depositing the eggs in the massive tank there. As soon as the seven eggs had settled close to each other, they hatched at the same time. Seven tadpoles emerged, swimming up toward the top of the tank, toward a row of metal lines in the far wall's side, and took position along it, curling their tails up to resemble musical notes… and, with the pattern of lines behind them, forming a melody.

"This… This is incredible!" old Dr. Mizumi said. "This sort of thing has never happened before!"

As the others stood back, Link assumed his Zora form and pulled out his ocarina, which had transformed into a replica of Mikau's fishbone guitar. He played the notes displayed, the magic of the spell-song guiding him to play at the correct tempo and rhythm, and then to play the rest of the song. Upon completion, the seven Zora tadpoles swam around in celebration.

"If these Zora were born to play this song…" the old doctor said. "Quickly! You must find the Zora who laid these eggs and play it for her! I will watch over the children; go!"

"Which way to the Zoras?" Sora asked.

"To the south from here; just follow the coast!"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Zora Cape**

**11:40 Hours**

"There it is" Zora-Link pointed to what looked like a giant stone fish-tail sticking up out of the water a few hundred feet offshore. "That must be Zora Hall. That's where we'll find the rest of Mikau's band."

"Y-You'd better go in alone, Link" Miyako said. "And stay in your Zora form. We'll sneak around and w-watch from the shadows."

Zora-Link nodded, and then dove into the water, swimming up to the giant stone fish and into its 'mouth'. He moved purposefully past stage-hands and crew-members, heading for the back section behind the Hall, with the Great Bay Temple – surrounded by a whirling vortex – visible in the distance. A few meters off the water's edge was a tiny island with a pair of palm trees growing from it. Sitting by the edge of the water was a Zora woman in a purple dress, staring sadly out into the sea. She turned back to look, eyes widening as she saw 'Mikau' approaching after days of absence. Zora-Link pulled out his instrument and strummed the melody that the newborn Zoras had taught him. Lulu felt the spell-song coursing through her, and she sang along to the tune, her voice returning to her. Once she was done, she turned to Zora-Link.

"Mikau…" she spoke softly. "That song… Did our children teach it to you? Did you rescue them?"

Suddenly, the nearby small island started moving, flipper-limbs and a head emerging from what was revealed to be the shell of a giant sea turtle. The turtle yawned as it turned to face the duo.

"That was a good, long nap" he said. "I just realized when I opened my eyes: the passing of days is quite quick recently. …Although my eyes were closed in sleep, I still see everything that occurs in this ocean… Proud Zora warrior, I have need of… you… Ah… Transformation magic… Why, it is a bearer of a piece of the legendary Triforce! What brings you to Termina? Ah, but there is no time for explanations after all; the oceans of Great Bay are in need of your help, young warrior."

"M-Mikau?" Lulu asked. "What's going on? What does he mean?"

Zora-Link gave a sad sigh as he removed his mask, and Lulu gasped in shock as what appeared to be her beloved reverted into a little Hylian boy holding a mask of Mikau's face.

"On my way here," Link explained, "I found Mikau. He told me about how the Gerudo Pirates had kidnapped his & your eggs. And then, he gave me the power to take his form; with that, I rescued the eggs. They're hatched and waiting at the Marine Research Institute. But… I'm sorry, Miss Lulu. Mikau died from the wounds the pirates dealt to him."

Lulu collapsed to her knees, eyes wide in grief-stricken horror. "No…" she whispered. "N-No, that…"

"I'm afraid it is true, my dear" the giant turtle said. "Looking back on my memories of my sleep, I can remember sensing Mikau's spirit leave his body. He passed the torch to this young hero, this bearer of the gods' power. …The boy also carries the power of Darmani, a Goron warrior who died not long ago, as well as that of a young Deku who was… Oh my… Link, and friends of Link hiding on the roof, there is not much time. Please, hop onto my back, and I will bring you to the Temple. You must free the Guardian Giant imprisoned there, to stop Majora's Curse from obliterating all of Termina!"

Sora, Miyako, and Homura hopped down, walking over to Link's side.

"Miyako and I lack water-based transformations" Homura said. "Sora and Link will go with you; we will stay here – hold down the fort, and perhaps explain the situation further to Mikau's former bandmates."

"…Very well" the turtle replied. "Bearer of the Triforce of Courage, wielder of the Keyblade, climb aboard, so that I may take you two into the Great Bay Temple."

Link and Sora hopped onto the giant turtle's back, and he began to swim out. As he carried them out into the waters, Link looked back, watching as Miyako comforted the grieving Lulu.

'The Skull Kid's schemes have led to enough suffering and death' Link thought with grim conviction. 'There _will_ be a reckoning…'

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

I originally was going to have this chapter and the upcoming Great Bay Temple chapter be one big chapter, but I've already made you guys wait long enough for an update, so I'm splitting it. Next Time: the Great Bay Temple


	5. Great Bay Temple

And again I had to cease all work on this chapter (i.e. not even _start_ it) until I finished other tasks. Sorry.

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Day 2 – 12:05 PM**

**Great Bay Temple Entrance**

The giant turtle emerged from the water, Sora and Link returning to their normal forms as they let go of his shell's palm trees and hopped down onto solid ground in front of him. They headed up the ramp and through the door ahead of them, coming out into a very large room with all sorts of moving machinery and pipes, including a large waterwheel overhead. Following Tatl's 'pointer spell', the duo jumped into the water and swam over to the northeast corner of the room. There, just under the water was a switch connected to a large yellow pipe that in turn was connected to an inactive water-geyser machine. Link shifted to his Zora form and sunk down, pushing the switch and allowing water to flow and produce a geyser. The duo then swam back toward the entrance onto dry land, and used an elevating platform to reach a higher level. Sora dealt with a pair of Skulltulas with a couple Strike Raids, and the two then hopped across the geyser to reach a doorway that had the room's red and yellow pipes running through it.

The next room contained a circular water-filled area and a massive turbine, with the latter's rotation providing a strong current in the water below. Link and Sora jumped in, assuming their aquatic forms, and the current quickly proved too strong to fight against, leaving some of the submerged passageways inaccessible. Left with little choice in destination by the current, they swam through the upper of the two accessible passages. The room they were tossed into had a few Skullfish swimming around, but Sora's Keyblade made short work of them. They surfaced, Sora using a magic-powered leap to reach a treasure chest containing the temple's magical map, and then went back under. The red pipe ran through another passageway that was guarded by a pair of skeletal hand-like enemies; a double Fin-Blade Boomerang from Zora-Link cut them away, and the duo swam on.

Further down the hallway, they encountered a trio of 'Deku Baba' dark-magic carnivorous plants hanging upside-down underwater from lily pads, their 'jaws' snapping in Link & Sora's direction. Sora tossed a well-aimed Strike Raid that took out all three of them. They then surfaced, de-transformed, and headed through the door. In the next room, Link used an arrow to take out a 'Real Bombchu' guarding a chest across the way, and the two boys then hopped across lily pads to reach a chest which contained the Great Bay Temple's enchanted compass.

"Hmm… Says there's a couple of Small Keys in this room" Link said.

"Eh, we don't need 'em" Sora replied. "One of the powers of the Keyblade is the ability to unlock any lock. That should save us time on key-hunting."

With this knowledge in mind, Tatl's 'Pointer Spell' pointed the duo into rapid current-bearing water on the side of the room, which carried them back into the central room. Zora-Link and Merman-Sora swam down through the lower of the two accessible passageways this time. In the next room, Tatl's spell led them to avoid the enemies in the water and follow the red pipe until it breached the surface. They shifted to their normal forms and walked along the pipe, being led to a door that Sora unlocked. Link stocked up on arrows in the next small room, and the two headed through the door on the other side. In the next room, they were confronted by a huge green spherical creature with a single gigantic eye. It dropped from the ceiling, surrounded by multiple beach-ball-sized pink egg-orb things that clung to it as a shield.

**Mini-boss – WART**

Wart started leisurely floating around the room, surrounded by an ever-moving shield of little pink 'minions'. Link tossed a bomb, and the explosion dislodged around 15 of the little things, which started bouncing around; Sora used a Thundaga to kill most of them, with Link's sword handling the rest. Sora then fired an explosive blast of magic that knocked more of them loose, allowing Link's Spin Attack to slice them apart. The process was repeated a few more times with bombs and blasts, until almost all of the pink things were gone. Wart dropped to the floor and charged at the two heroes, who rolled out of the way, Link drawing his bow as he righted himself. The giant eye-creature charged again, but this time Link fired an arrow that pierced right through its pupil and deep into its body. Wart rolled to a stop and then exploded in a burst of dark magic. A treasure chest appeared in the center of the room, and Link pulled out of it a pale-blue arrowhead-shaped charm.

"And now I can charge my arrows with Ice magic" he said. "Fire and ice…"

"Are there any other elemental arrow charms out there?" Link asked. "Lightning, Wind, Light, Darkness, Stone, stuff like that?"

"Well, there are Light Arrows" Link replied. "They were a big help toward the end of my last adventure. I don't know about any of the others, though."

The duo headed back to the room with the red pipe. Link tested his new arrows out by freezing an Octorok, making it into a floating platform with which to reach the pipe-flow switch atop the platform in the center of the room. The switch was turned, allowing water to flow through the red pipe, and the duo transformed and swam to follow it back to the central chamber, and back up through the upper passageway. Back in the room that had held the dungeon map, Link's Ice Arrows and Sora's Blizzard spell were used to make ice platforms with which to reach the door to the south. In this small room, Link froze a Blue Chu-Chu to make it into a platform, which he used to reach another switch to keep the red pipe's water flowing.

Sora & Link followed the red pipe back to the room where they found the magic compass. Using an Ice arrow, they were able to cross to the right-hand door across the water. In the next, square-shaped room, there was a strange orange frog-like creature – a 'Gecko', identical to the one Link and the girls had fought in the Woodfall Temple. Upon spotting the two, it called out, and a swarm of large transparent gold-colored jelly/blob creatures dropped from the ceiling. The Gecko began hopping around, and the jelly-blobs bounced around as well, making for a very chaotic situation. Sora started attacking the blobs, which were sent bouncing away without actually being harmed by his attacks, clearing a path for Link to chase after the Gecko. The preteen hero quickly caught up and slashed with his sword, dealing a solid blow to the frog-like monster.

The Gecko called out to the blob monsters, which converged around it to form a single huge blob-monster with the frog-beast at the center. It then 'jumped' up onto the ceiling, crawling along it toward Sora. As it began to drop onto him, Link quickly used his Hookshot to pull the Keyblade-bearer out of the way and to safety. The Gecko-blob returned to the ceiling, but this time Link quickly drew and fired an Ice Arrow at it. The entire blog froze solid, and then dropped to the floor, shattering into its component parts. The Gecko was in the center, stunned and wounded. Link rushed at it, but the blobs moved to defend it. Sora came to aid again, batting them away, and the Gecko came to its senses just in time to catch another heavy slash from Link, and this one finished him off. With a flash of magic and a puff of smoke, the cursed amphibian reverted to a normal frog. The blob monsters faded away into nothingness.

The duo headed through a now-unlocked door, which led to a large and colorful chest holding the Boss Key (just on the off chance the Keyblade wouldn't work). They then hopped through the opening nearby and jumped into the water, letting it carry them back to the central chamber. They headed south, to the temple's first chamber, and Sora carried Link in a magic-powered leap over to a red switch, which was quickly turned. The resulting geyser of water further down the line stopped the spinning of the waterwheel that was powering the central chamber's turbine. They then jumped down and swam over to the yellow switch in the middle of the room, turning it to switch off the yellow geyser. This allowed the red geyser to reverse the waterwheel's direction, thus doing the same to the turbine and the current it powered.

Upon returning to the central chamber, Tatl's 'Pointing Spell' sent them down to the bottom, swimming through a passageway walled by red and green pipes. In the next room, they climbed up the pipes, reaching a green switch, and across a gap was the boss door, with an inactive geyser connected to a green pipe at the bottom of the gap. Link sighed, ready to turn around and hunt for more things to have to do, but Sora grinned and gave a thumbs-up, and pulled little Link close. With his other hand he tossed his Keyblade across the gap, and then twin bursts of light accompanied Sora – with Link & Tatl in hand – teleporting to the weapon.

"Good thing I had Erika teach me her trick before I came here" the youth said.

Link used the Boss Key to unlock the door, and the duo headed through. On the other side was a large circular hole in the floor. They jumped down, and the temple's magic slowed their fall, safely lowering them onto the center of a large platform. The room was very large, square, with a lone platform in the center surrounded by deep water. Everything was eerily quiet. …Suddenly, there was a splash, as a _huge_ fish – at least 30 feet long, with dark red scales like armor, a mouth with huge fangs, and glowing blue eyes – leapt clear over the platform and the two young warriors in the middle of it, landing with a splash on the other side.

**Gargantuan Masked Fish – GYORG**

Sora jumped into the water, assuming his mer-boy form, while Zora-Link followed. Gyorg lunged at them, massive jaws open wide, and they swam to either side just in time, lashing out with Keyblade and blade-fins, cutting into Gyorg's thick hide. The giant demon-fish thrashed about, forcing the two back, and then turned to the side and tried to eat Link, its heavily armored head scales harmlessly deflecting Zora-Link's Boomerang Blade-Fins. Sora cast a Reflega spell that protected Link, allowing him to get some distance.

Link charged his transformed body with Zora magic, and swam into Gyorg's side, tackling it with his electrified body. The beast was wounded and stunned, allowing Sora to land a few combos before it regained itself and thrashed back to force the boy away. It swam away with surprising speed, then doubled back and rushed at Sora with jaws open. Sora swam out of the way as quickly as he could, but a fang grazed his side, leaving a six-inch gash. Wincing, he cast Cura to heal the wound before he could lose any serious amount of blood. Zora-Link landed another electrified tackle into the demon-fish's body, stunning it and leaving it open to several fin-blade slashes.

Gyorg opened its mouth wide, and out from it swam a swarm of piranha-like Mini-Gyorgs. Most of them went for Sora, keeping him occupied and forcing Link to fight the big one alone. Gyorg breached, arcing through the air, and crashed down right at Link, forcing the Zora-form hero to dive as far down as he could to avoid the attack. He unleashed another Boomerang Blade-Fin attack, the whirling cutters slicing deep into Gyorg's side, but the fish got out of the way of his follow-up attack, and Zora-Link barely avoided being speared by one of the beast's massive fangs. By this point, Sora had fought off the Mini-Gyorgs, and he swim-dashed in, catching Gyorg off-guard with a heavy Keyblade blow that stunned the monster while dealing heavy Light-type damage, allowing Zora-Link to deal a powerful electrified tackle that knocked the monster fish even further off-balance.

Gyorg roared as it used a tail-swipe to send the two young heroes into the wall, and then swam over to the central platform. After a few seconds it charged at them, which they returned. The wounded demon-fish breached from the water, and as it started to come back down and forward, jaws wide, Sora and Link launched themselves out of the water at it, transforming to their normal forms and drawing their blades as they soared upward at an angle. There was a flash of Light magic as they struck simultaneously, dealing a death blow to the mighty beast of the sea. Their momentum carried them back onto the central platform, landing with blades still in hand, as Gyorg landed behind them with a splash.

The two boys straightened up, turning to face where Gyorg has fallen. Suddenly, there was a burst of water as Gyorg lunged out, roaring as it beached itself on the platform, thrashing about as it gazed at the two heroes with murder in its eyes. Then, however, its struggles tapered off until they faded completely, and the beast went still, succumbing to its wounds. With a burst of dark magic, Gyorg ceased to exist, vanishing and leaving behind a mask of his face floating above a small circle of light. Link and Sora stepped into the circle, grabbing the mask, and everything went white.

Again, Link and Tatl found themselves in a realm of a Guardian Giant, tinted blue with thick 'mist', the ancient spirit faintly visible in the distance.

"Hey, listen!" Tatl shouted to it. "We need you to lend us your power! If you just leave things as they are, something terrible will happen to this world! Surely, you're the only ones who can stop it! That's what my brother Tael was trying to tell us!"

"HELP… OUR… FRIEND"

"…I get it. We have to help the last Giant! Then promise us this… You'll help us…"

Again, everything went white.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Behind Zora Hall**

**Day 2 – 2:40 PM**

A circle of swirling light appeared in front of the giant turtle, and from it emerged Sora, Link, and Tatl.

"Well done, young heroes" the turtle said. "Now, I can continue resting in peace. I, too, must abide by the laws of ancient times and again merely watch from my deep slumber."

Link and Sora nodded, and then turned around to see Homura, Miyako, Lulu, and the rest of the band waiting and watching. Judging by the expressions on the other band-mates' faces, they'd heard about Mikau's passing. Link looked at the Zoras nervously, but one by one they nodded their heads to him. Lulu knelt down to Link's eye level, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Please… stay safe, little one" she spoke softly. "And put an end to the dark force that took him from us…"

Link nodded. "I will" he said. "I promise."

"I don't like to say this," Sora spoke up, "but I've gotta get going soon. I only had a handful of hours to come help you guys before I had to head back and continue my training; as of now I've got, like, 50 minutes left. I wish I could help you see this through to the end, but…"

"I-It's okay" Miyako replied. "We'll manage, I think…"

"Before we get going…" Link said. "Some of Mikau's skills were passed on to me, including how to play a guitar. I know it wouldn't really be him, but…"

He assumed his Zora form, pulling out the fishbone guitar that his ocarina became when in this form.

"How about one last jam?" he asked Mikau's band-mates.

Soon, Sora, Miyako, and Homura joined a crowd of Zoras inside the hall, watching and listening as the Indigo-gos put their heart & soul into an impromptu concert. Link was a natural, Mikau's skill and muscle memory allowing the transformed Hylian to play with the skill of a veteran. And as he played, the other members of the band watched as the spirit of Mikau himself appeared next to his green-hued doppelganger, rocking out on his own guitar alongside.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

…Huh. With how long _playing_ the Great Bay Temple takes, I thought _writing_ it would take a lot longer and take up more words than this chapter did. …Oh, well. Next Time: heading to Ikana Canyon, and accessing the castle there.


	6. Ikana

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Day 2 – 5:35 PM**

**Ikana Valley**

Link, Homura, Miyako, and Tatl headed toward the canyon, as the Sun began to set overhead. Having 'time-locked' the events at Zora Cape and the nearby temple, they'd headed here, to the opposite side of Termina, though stopping to complete a few minor tasks along the way. Link pulled out of his enchanted subspace-storage bag the 'Garo Mask' he'd won off of the Gorman Brothers earlier. As they walked through the rocks and over old fences, they heard a voice from up above.

"Yee-hee-hee! What are you kids doing in a place like this?"

They looked up, spotting a strange hooded figure sitting on the edge of a short cliff overhead, holding a wooden stick.

"Ikana Hill beyond here is the place where spirits with troubles and lingering regrets wander" he or she said. "Even now, the spirits wander in search of one who can save them. It is unfortunate, but it is no place for those such as you…"

Link pulled the Garo Mask out again, donning it.

"Oh? …That is the mask of the leader of the ninjas who once spied on the hilltop castle. With that, you may be able to call out their spirits that even now are still wandering. Perhaps you may be able to save the souls that wander beyond here…"

An old, bare tree emerged from thin air next to the seated figure, who then vanished. Link used his Hookshot to pull himself up with the tree, while the girls used chakra-powered leaps to join him. They started moving down the next path, dodging a few falling boulders along the way, and soon entered the canyon proper. A river ran through the middle, and as Link – still wearing the Garo Mask – approached the water, a hooded figure suddenly appeared, the hood and the glowing white eyes within looking exactly like the hood-mask Link wore.

"Master!" the figure said. "You called! Wait…" Curved blades extended from within the figure's sleeves. "What are you?"

The ninja-ghost conjured a ring-wall of fire around himself and Link, keeping the girls out, and attacked the young hero. Link used his gilded blade to skillfully block and parry the enemy's swings, and then took advantage of a split-second opening to land a deep slash across the ninja-ghost's chest. The hooded spirit fell back, and the flames faded away.

"R-Regrettable… Although my rival, you were spectacular. I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom… To cross the valley of Ikana, aim at the river beasts with the arrowhead that freezes. Belief or disbelief is up to you. To die without leaving a corpse… That is the way of us Garo."

The Garo ninja vanished in a burst of green flame. Nearby, there was a comparatively small gap across the river, with two Octoroks lined up perfectly. Link used a pair of Ice Arrows to turn them into stepping stones, and he & the girls crossed to the other side. A series of Hookshot-able dead trees enable Link to ascend up to the top of the nearby cliff (the girls simply chakra-walked up the side), reaching a higher level of the valley. They made their way along the left wall, up a natural ramp, and at the top were attacked by another Garo Ninja. Link deflected its blade swings and countered with a stabbing thrust, knocking the hooded enemy back.

"Although my rival, you were spectacular. I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom… To revive the dried-up river on Ikana Hill, you must go to the spring water cave."

The ninja-ghost vanished, and the trio moved on. To the north was a cave, with the dried-up stream bed leading into it. In the cave was a mountain spring surrounded by a ring of rock pillars, currently dried up and blocked by a faint purplish mist. As the trio approached, a disembodied voice echoed.

"_What business have you in Ikana Kingdom, land where only the dead roam?_"

Up near the roof of the chamber, a ghost appeared, bearing an orange mustache and wielding a conductor's baton.

"_This is no place for ones as full of life as you. Or do you wish to join the dead? If that is the case, then sleep gently to the melody of darkness that the great composer, Sharp, shall play, and join the ranks of the dead…_"

A mysterious melody, low and haunting, began to play from all around. The three young warriors staggered, feeling a pain in their chest.

"This song…" Homura said through gritted teeth. "It's draining our life-force! Link! Play the melody that the other one taught you, quickly!"

Link nodded, pulling out his ocarina and playing the Song of Storms. The magic of the spell-song coursed through the area, striking Sharp's restless spirit.

"…_N-No, it can't be. This song…_"

Sharp's spirit vanished, as did the evil mist clouding the chamber. The spring in the center returned, water flowing up from the ground and out through the channel. Downstream, it turned the waterwheel attached to the lone house in the middle of the canyon, surrounded by mummy-like 'Gibdos'. The spinning wheel powered a giant speaker atop the roof, which began to play a loud, circus-like calliope tune. The mummies crowding the canyon moaned in distress, and retreated underground. Back in the mountain spring chamber, Sharp reappeared, but he now looked different, lighter.

"_My dear brother Flat… Forgive your foolish brother who dreamt of the revival of the Royal Family… You children who do not fear the dead… With my brother's song, you have broken the curse that was placed upon me. We dead should not be lingering here in this land. It was all the work of the masked imp. If you truly do not fear the dead… I wish for you to go to the temple in this land and sever the root of the evil curse that torments us. I, the only one who knows the way into the temple, shall direct you to the King. He is in the ruins of Ikana Castle, waiting for one who can break the curse. …I have made my final request._"

With that, Sharp vanished once more. The trio headed out of the cave, finding the area now free of the bandaged zombies. They approached the lone house with the speakers and waterwheel, now spotting a little girl, no older than six, inspecting the returned stream. However, upon seeing them, she turned and ran into the house, locking the door.

"My Pointer Spell is telling me something's in there…" Tatl said. "What'll we do?"

"…You three, stay in physical contact with me" Homura said. "Link, throw a bomb off to the side."

Curious, Link complied, pulling an explosive out of the subspace-storage Big Bomb Bag he carried. The bomb was thrown a fair distance away, where it exploded. A few seconds later, the house's door opened, and the little girl cautiously came out, heading down the steps to investigate the noise. Suddenly, she froze, along with everything else, as everything lost its color. Homura, with Miyako and Link hanging on to her sleeves and Tatl on Link's hat so that they were immune to her time-stop, headed into the house. She disengaged the time-stop, and they headed downstairs.

On one side of the room was a large white cabinet, and as they drew close to it, it rattled. Link moved a little closer, and suddenly the doors of the cabinet were thrown open from within. Out shambled a man, half-covered in mummy-wrappings, with a dead, glazed look in his eyes, with protruding lips and a voice that was only partly human. Homura and Miyako jumped back, summoning their weapons, but Link's heart guided him to do something else: he pulled out the ocarina of time and played the Song of Healing. The powerful magic of the spell-song enveloped the mummy-man. Behind them, tiny feet hurried down the steps, their owner arriving just in time to see a flash of light envelop the half-mummy.

When it faded, a mummy mask clattered to the floor, landing at the feet of a man in green slacks and a white coat, looking at his own body with surprise. He looked around.

"What… have I been doing all this time?" he wondered. "Why am I down here?"

"D… _DADDYYYY!-!-!_"

The man looked up in time to see the little girl come running into his arms, clinging to him for dear life as she cried.

"Pamela? What's… What's wrong?"

"You were cursed" Homura spoke up, getting the man's attention. "You had been partially turned into one of those mummy-things that were wandering around outside. Link's spell-song healed you and broke the curse."

The man was silent with horror as it sank in – why his memories were blurred, why he was in the basement, why he remembered the inside of a closet, why his little girl was crying her eyes out and clinging to him. He tightened his embrace of his daughter, holding her close. As this was happening, Link quietly grabbed and stowed the Gibdo Mask, and he & the girls made their exit.

Tatl's spell now led them to an old well atop a nearby hill. They headed down into the tunnels and, after a series of item trades with local Gibdos which the author finds entirely too silly to elaborate on, they came into a circular chamber with a shaft of sunlight from directly ahead, and four unlit torches. Homura used a basic Fire spell to light the torches, and a large treasure chest appeared to the side. Link opened it, and pulled out a shield with a reflective face… as well as an actual face design, locked in an expression of shocked horror.

"O…kay…" Link said, leaning back a little from the shield-face as he held it. "The Mirror Shield in my last adventure didn't look like this… Well, whatever."

Link walked into the beam of sunlight, and angled his new Mirror Shield to reflect light into the Sun motif on the side wall. A ladder magically appeared nearby, leading up to a path blocked by a large stone block with the same Sun image on it; again, the Mirror Shield was put to the work, the reflective light triggering the stone block's magic and making it vanish, clearing the way. The trio moved up the ladder and down the path.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Ikana Castle**

**Day 2 – 5:58 PM**

The high ladder at the end of the catacombs brought the group up inside the courtyard of the ancient castle. They went around and entered the castle, and the first room inside was populated by a quartet of ReDeads. Miyako immediately blasted one with an ice spell that froze it solid, allowing her to shatter it with her hammer. The other three reanimates turned to face her, and one of them took a fireball to the face from Homura, taking it out. Link used a jumping strike to decapitate the third ReDead, and a series of slashes to disassemble the fourth. With the area clear, he looked around and soon spotted a diamond-shaped 'eye switch' frozen in ice up on the room's northwest pillar. A single Fire Arrow melted the ice and hit the switch, and the north door unlocked.

The next room had a checker-pattern floor, with a barred door across the room, a pillar with a switch on top halfway across, and a glowing-hot 'ceiling' overhead that would obviously move down to crush them if they tried to cross. Link, Tatl, and Miyako watched as Homura 'flickered', reappearing atop the pillar and pressing the switch, unlocking the far door. She vanished again, and the other three again found themselves in a grayscale world as she grabbed hold of them, pulling them across to the door. She unfroze time, the heated pseudo-ceiling pressing down behind them, and they went through the door.

In the next room, Skulltulas and spike-mines hung from the ceiling, over what looked to be a bottomless pit with a few small scattered platforms. However, a glimpse of floating dust clued Link in, and he pulled out his Lens of Truth, spotting an invisible floating platform to the left. He hopped across, hitting a switch in the corner of the room and unlocking the next door. He and the girls hopped across, using a few magic blasts to clear Skulltulas out, and soon reached the door. The next room had a pair of 'Blue Bubbles' – huge floating skulls with bat wings, surrounded by blue flames. Link used a few arrows to take them down, and the group headed up the stairs and onto the roof. Once on the roof, they were attacked by another Garo Ninja. As usual, Link parried its strikes and countered with a stab.

"Although my rival, you were spectacular. I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom… To counter the rage of the king of Ikana Castle, burn away that which disrupts the light, and shine the sacred rays on the king."

The Garo ninja vanished. The group climbed up onto the ledge of the castle roof, Link using his arrows to take out a pair of Guays that tried to fly at them. Miyako hopped across pillars and stepped on a switch, moving a huge stone block from atop a hole in the southern roof. They then hopped down and reentered the castle. This time, Link melted and hit the switch on the southeast pillar, unlocking the south door. In the next room, a huge skeletal hand skittered across the floor at the group. Link brought up his Mirror Shield to block its tackle, bouncing it back, and as he moved forward he inadvertently stepped into the shaft of sunlight, bouncing the light off the shield and at the Floor-Master, which burst into flame and crumbled into ashes. He then shined it on the Sun-block up ahead, and then used the Mirror-Shield light to kill a quartet of ReDeads behind the block, allowing the group to move through the next door.

Once they entered the next room, the doors locked. The group looked around, noticing the four warp tiles in the room's corners, and sure enough a Wizzrobe emerged from one of them, but this time with a staff charged with Fire-type magic. He did his weird little spinning dance, launched a fireball that forced the young heroes to scatter, and then vanished into the warp tile. Soon, he reappeared from another title, but as he was charging his attack Link rushed in and swung his Gilded Sword, the enchanted blade dealing significant damage to the evil creature. The Wizzrobe warped away again, reappearing across the room and sending out illusory duplicates; Homura's crossbow bolt went through one, and she barely dodged the real Wizzrobe's blast from behind her. When the dark-magic being appeared again, however, he was struck by an Ice Arrow from Link, freezing him in place just long enough to Miyako to get in close and hit him in the face with her hammer. This did enough damage to finish him off, and the Wizzrobe vanished in a burst of green flames, the doors unlocking.

In the next room, a barrage of Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_ from Homura dealt with the waiting ReDeads, and the group took the stairs up to the roof. On the roof, they rounded a corner and, guided by Tatl's pointer spell, were led to a cracked section of the roof. Link dropped a bomb on it, but that wasn't enough, so Homura pulled out a more powerful, 'modern' explosive, and that did the trick. They jumped down the hole, landing in the castle's entrance chamber; the Sun was almost set, but there was still enough light shining down through the new hole in the roof to redirect at the Sun-mark block straight ahead. The group hurried down the new pathway, entering what looked to be an empty throne room. As they got halfway across the room, the door behind them locked, and a deep voice came from nowhere.

"_Oh, insolent ones who have brought the unthinkable into a land as dark as Ikana…_"

The windows allowing sunlight in were blocked by thick curtains, plunging the room into darkness.

"_My servants have fallen namelessly before the light that guides you. However…_"

The trio's attention was drawn back to the throne, which now had a skeletal being seated in it, wearing a headpiece and the old, faded, tattered remnant of a royal robe. Flanking the throne were two skeletal warriors.

"The darkness in which my servants live is, after all, fleeting" the King of Ikana Castle said. "You shall see with your own eyes… just what kind of thing true darkness really is."

The two Stalfos Warriors, with swords and shields in hand, charged. Link brought his shield up to block the taller one's downward sword swing, while the shorter one staggered back after using its shield to block Miyako's hammer. Homura leapt over the shorter one's shield and dealt a magic-powered punch that knocked it back, scattering its component bones, but they quickly began to pull themselves together. Link managed to de-limb the taller Stalfos Warrior, but the leg quickly rejoined with the rest of the body.

Remembering the latest Garo Ninja's words, Homura fired a pair of Fire-magic bolts at the curtains, burning them away and letting the orange light of the setting Sun shine in. Link rolled under a horizontal swing of the taller Stalfos' blade, and countered with a Spin Attack that broke it apart. He then hurried into one of the shafts of light and reflected it at the fallen Stalfos, which burst into bluish flames and vanished. Miyako smashed the other one apart again, and Link repeated the process. Seeing his lackeys dispatched so easily, the Ikana King got to his feet, drawing a huge blade and a square-shaped shield. He growled, and then charged at Link.

Homura and Miyako stepped back as Link engaged the Ikana King in a duel. The young hero's small size and speed enabled him to get around the King's defenses and land a few solid blows, before he then brought his shield up to block a swing of the large foe's blade that knocked him back a few feet. Link rushed back in, ducking under another swing and then landing a stabbing blow, knocking the Ikana King back. He followed with a barrage of strikes, finishing with a heavy blow that scattered the King's parts. Quickly, Link ran into one of the shafts of ever-fading sunlight, and reflected the light into the pile of animated bones. They quickly burned away, leaving the sword and shield behind.

As Link and the girls dusted themselves off, however, they got a surprise, as one of the lackey's skull-heads floated up off the ground, glaring down at them. Suddenly, the other came flying in, shoving the first one aside.

"You're blocking me!" it said. "Get out of my way! I can still get him!"

"Blocking you?-!" the other one snapped. "The reason they beat us is because you were so feeble! Don't blame this on me!"

"What?-! Just try saying that again!"

"ENOUGH!-!"

The two floating lackey skulls went silent as a third floating skull – that of the Ikana King – came closer.

"Haven't you two begun to understand?" he asked. "Our kingdom being in this state… Isn't it because of petty little battles like this?" He turned to face Link's group. "Believing in your friends and embracing that belief by forgiving failure… These feelings have vanished from our hearts. It all happened after somebody thrust open the doors of that stone tower. You who would bring light into darkness, I am Igos du Ikana, last King of the Ikana Kingdom. The spell that had been cast upon us was broken by that light which you carry. To return true light to this land, you must seal the doors of Stone Tower, where the winds of darkness blow through. But the tower is a nigh-impenetrable stronghold; hundreds of my kingdom's soldiers would not be able to topple it. It is far too reckless for one to take on such a challenge. And so… I grant to you a soldier who has no heart. One who will not falter in the darkness. Remember this song, the Elegy of Emptiness…"

The floating skull moved about, resonating and letting out a progression of low notes, a solemn melody. Link played the song on his ocarina, and directly in front of him appeared a statue of himself.

"This soldier who has no heart is your twin image – a shell of yourself that you will shed when your song commands it."

With that, the King and his underlings vanished from sight.

"_On my kingdom… shine the light of justice…_"

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Next Time: the Stone Tower Temple


	7. Stone Tower Temple

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Stone Tower**

**Day 2 – 6:30 PM**

Link (with Tatl fluttering overhead), Homura, and Miyako entered the tower, looking up (and up, and up…) at the temple far at the top. They moved straight ahead, hopping across a set of huge floating stone blocks to reach the other side, and then ninja-leapt/Hookshot-ed up to a higher platform on the left. A bizarre stone statue with a revolving single eye shot a laser beam at them, but Link used his Mirror Shield to deflect the blast and then tossed a bomb that blew the 'Beamos' apart. There were three floor switches on the three accessible levels here; Link used his Hookshot, his Goron and Zora Masks, and the Elegy of Emptiness to hold all three down, causing the floating stone blocks to rise up and bridge the gap across to a higher level of the other side.

The group continued making their way up the tower in this manner, until finally they reached the Stone Tower Temple, using the Elegy to solve one last switch puzzle and then hopping across the blocks to enter the temple. In the opening room, Homura and Miyako fired magic bursts to take out a pair of electric dragonfly-monsters, while Link used an arrow to destroy a 'Real Bombchu'. They went through the west door, into an oddly-shaped room with a few Bombchus skittering about. A cracked wall was straight ahead, and a blow from Miyako's hammer brought it down, revealing a small side-room with a few heavy crates. Seeing as there were a few floor switches in the area, the required actions were clear: they killed the explosive rats, then placed crates on each of the floor switches, using a Goron-form Elegy of Emptiness statue to press down the big one. A gate opened into a small courtyard; Link used a bomb to destroy a tan-colored square section of floor on the left-hand side, and then they followed Tatl's pointer spell through the northwest doorway, down the stairs to a basement level below.

There was just enough sunlight left in the day to reflect off of Link's Mirror Shield and into the Sun-face block ahead, and as it cleared out a pair of statues across the way came to life, hopping toward the trio with swords in hand. Link, recognizing the Armos Statues, placed a bomb in their path, and the explosion blew them to bits. A treasure chest magically appeared containing a Small Key, and the larger chest across the way held the temple map. They headed back upstairs, and used the key to unlock and pass through the east door.

The next room had a small fenced-off area to the side blocked by a Sun-face block, and the main area was divided in two by a fence but also had a pool of water in it. A treasure chest was visible across the way on the other side; Homura made a magic-powered leap over the dividing fence and retrieved the Small Key from within the chest. Miyako, carrying Link, joined her, and Tatl used her pointer spell, but it pointed to a submerged passage. Link shifted to his Zora Form, grabbed hold of Miyako & Homura under his arms, and the girls held their breath as he dove in, speed-swimming through the passage and quickly surfacing in the next room. The girls caught their breath as they climbed back onto dry land, using magic to dry their outfits, while Link returned to his normal form. The boy used his Mirror Shield to reflect sunlight into a mirror, bouncing it off into a sun-face block. With the block cleared, a chest containing an enchanted compass appeared. With that acquired, the trio headed through a locked door in this room.

The first thing they noticed in the next room was a stack of disc-shaped stones with faces carved into them. Link shifted to his Goron form and punched them away, allowing light to shine down from a hole in the ceiling; the Sun had now set, but apparently the temple designers had taken this into account, as magically-stored sunlight shone down from a magic artifact overhead. After disposing of the little shadow creatures, Homura used her shield, and Miyako an ice-mirror, in conjunction with Link's shield to bounce light around the central pillar and into the sun-face block obstructing the way forward, making it vanish. In the next room, the whole set-up with fans, Deku flowers, and lava was skipped by Homura carrying Link as she & Miyako used chakra to walk along the walls, reaching the door on the other side of the room. The next, square-shaped room seemed empty. The doors suddenly locked, and then a large figure leapt down from the ceiling, clad in gold-lined purple robes and wearing a bronze-colored mask. He drew two curved swords from within his sleeves, and the blades were wreathed in fire.

**Mini-Boss – GARO MASTER**

A wall of fire separated the two _Puellae Magi_ from Link and the enemy, as the Garo Master charged at the boy. Link rolled to the side, and lashed out to deal a glancing blow as the enemy passed. The Garo Master rushed at him in a flurry of whirling, burning blades, and Link put all he had into parrying and shielding against the attacks. Eventually, Link managed to bash the Garo Master back with his shield, stunning him and leaving him open to a few more slashes from the young hero's sword. The enemy ninja pressed his own attack further, but after a few more moments of dueling Link bent backwards to dodge a decapitating swing, and then kicked upward at the Garo Master's wrist, knocking one of his curved blades away. Link then went for a low sweeping kick that knocked the Garo off-balance, and followed with a rising strike of his sword that sent the ninja flying. The Garo Master slumped against the wall, as his flame barrier faded.

"To think that I could be defeated…" he said. "Although my rival, you were spectacular. I shall take my bow by opening my heart and revealing my wisdom… If you shoot that which releases the sacred golden light to the blood-red emblem outside the temple… it shall rearrange things, in which the earth is born into the heavens and the moon is born on the earth. To die without leaving a corpse… that is the way of us Garo…"

The Garo Ninja Master triggered a set of exploding tags beneath his robes, vanishing in an explosion. A treasure chest appeared, and from it Link pulled out a shining golden arrowhead-charm.

"Awesome!" he said. "It's the Light Arrow charm! I can shoot arrows imbued with Light magic now; not even Ganondorf could withstand hits from these!"

The trio headed south, through a narrow corridor and onto a railed bridge. At the far end was a large blue humanoid statue without a discernible head, and when they got close to it a single huge teal-tinted eye opened up on its chest. The monster, which was around 10 feet tall, stomped toward the group, and then slammed its fists down; Link back-flipped to avoid being crushed. Its eye briefly turned yellow after attacking, before returning to its normal teal. Homura rushed in, luring the monster into attacking again, and when its eye had turned red she pulled a Sangheili plasma sword out of her subspace storage, activated it, and thrusted it deep into the monster's eye. She then sliced upwards, and the partially-bisected monster toppled backward and then vanished in a burst of darkness.

The next door led the group back to the temple entrance; With the Garo Master's words in mind, they exited the temple, and Miyako stood atop a switch to move a floating stone block away from a large ruby-colored gem. Link pulled out a Light Arrow and fired, and everything went white. When the trio opened their eyes again, everything had been flipped upside-down, with gravity reversed to fit. They re-entered the now-inverted temple, heading through a door on the right, and using a Light Arrow to destroy a sun-face block. In the next large room, ninja-style wall-walking saved the day again, climbing up the side to the spell-pointed room in the upper corner, rather than having to pull off shenanigans with the rising columns of air. The next big room after that had a rather aggravating puzzle involving a stone block and multiple flippings of the room, but eventually the next door was unlocked and passed through.

In the next room, they took some stairs up (or would it be down?) and to a room with a huge gap, the night sky visible beneath them. Miyako carried Link as she & Homura leapt across, and Link used his Stone Mask to sneak past patrolling Armos Knights and acquire a Small Key from a side passage, before returning to the girls and heading through the nearby door. The next room had an even larger gap. They made the jump again, and this time, while in midair, Miyako conjured an ice platform that they leapt off of, letting it fall into the sky as they reached the far door and passed through. Link used a few arrows to destroy the two Blue Bubbles in the following hallway, and they moved on to the next room. Fluttering in a circle near the ceiling was a huge flock of bats, and they then converged in the center of the room near the floor, forming into a shadowy figure that looked to be wearing a ragged cape, with a jagged red fanged maw and glowing green eyes, and a horde of bats circling around it. It conjured a scythe, and then roared a challenge.

**Mini-Boss – GOMESS**

Link leapt back and fired a Light Arrow, stunning Gomess and scattering its defense bats; Link then rushed in and slashed at the yellow gem on Gomess' chest, damaging it and forcing the demon back. Gomess began spinning its scythe in front of it while charging at Link, the bat-wall reforming around it, and Link rolled back and then to the side to avoid it. Miyako tossed out a freeze spell, taking out a big chunk of the bats, and Link shot Gomess' core with a Light Arrow. Gomess went wild with its scythe, slashing madly at the trio, but then a wave of Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_ from Homura struck it and its bats from behind, leaving an opening for Link to stab his sword deep into Gomess' core, which cracked and shattered. The dark creature hissed/roared as it vanished in a burst of pale-yellow flames, and the doors unlocked. Link went through the east door into a tiny room containing an ornately-decorated blue & yellow chest, which held the Boss Key. With that in hand, he and the girls exited.

They returned back across the previous room, but went through a door on the left rather than back the way they came. Tatl's pointer spell led them to Hookshot/magic-leap up to a higher level, passing through a locked door and into a room with a narrow bridge with another 'Eyegore' at the far end. Link rushed in, tempting it into attacking and thus turning its eye yellow, and then Miyako launched a spear of ice into the eye; a following Fire Arrow from Link finished the job, and the Eyegore vanished. In its place appeared a chest, and from that Link pulled a pale-grey magic mask. They moved through the door on the other end of the bridge, and hopped over a few rolling spike-logs, soon coming to the Boss Door. They unlocked it and headed through.

Somehow, they found themselves in the middle of a huge sand-filled area with a few stone pillars scattered about. The ground began to rumble, and suddenly a gigantic centipede-like creature with blue exoskeletal plating burst out of the ground, armored pincers clasping as it flew through the air overhead. A second one with red plating soon joined it, both creatures then diving back under the sand.

**Giant Masked Insect – TWINMOLD**

Homura and Miyako's auras flared as they tapped into their power. Link pulled out the new mask he just got and put it on, and suddenly he rapidly grew in size, becoming a giant, with his gear and sword growing to match. The Red Twinmold burst out of the sand, flying overhead, and Miyako cast _Jaculatio Grandinis_, firing several large ice spears at its face. The impacts briefly stunned the beast, enabling Giant-Link to slash at its vulnerable tail a few times before it dove back underground. The Blue Twinmold emerged across the way, and took a fireball to the tail from Homura, followed by a sword blow to the face from Giant-Link, before it could submerge again.

The Twinmolds emerged together, coiling through the air toward Giant-Link. Link brought his shield up to block the Red Twinmold's tackle, and then a Fire-type _Sagitta Magica_ barrage struck the Blue Twinmold in the chin when it tried to hit Link from the side, forcing it to break off. The Red Twinmold reared back and spread its pincers, which crackled with power as Darkness energy quickly coalesced into a roiling sphere between them. The dark energy ball was fired at Link, but the giant-sized boy swung his sword at just the right moment to knock the ball back, and it exploded in the Red Twinmold's face; the injured beast dove back under the sand. Meanwhile, the Blue Twinmold took another fire-arrow barrage to the eyes, and roared as it retreated below-ground.

Feeling the ground around him tremble, Link brought his sword back, charging mana into it. The Twinmolds emerged from either side of him, diving toward him pincers-first… and flew straight into the giant-sized Spin Attack that Link unleashed, knocking them both away and dealing considerable damage. They resurfaced a fair distance away, holding their heads close together and opening their pincers wide as they combined energies, forming a huge sphere of Darkness energy between them. Link drew and fired a Light Arrow, and the resulting destabilization made the explosion backfire on the giant worms, stunning them and blasting off the armor plating on their heads. Giant-Link then rushed in and, with one wide swing, decapitated both of the Twinmolds. The huge heads of the beasts fell to the sand together and then exploded, along with their bodies. On the area's central platform, a familiar blue magic circle appeared.

Link took off the Giant's Mask, returning to his normal size, and he & the girls walked into the circle, acquiring the downsized Twinmold Mask and then being whisked away into the fourth Giant's realm. Across the yellowish mist, the entity was faintly visible.

"Well," Tatl said, "we've helped all of you. That's all we can do. So now, you'll help us in exchange? We'll call you when the time is right, so do something about _him_, all right?"

"…FOR…GIVE… YOUR… FRIEND…"

In a flash of light, Link, Tatl, & the girls were teleported out, reappearing in Ikana Canyon, outside the Stone Tower's entrance. A pulse of light soared up into the night sky, its glow enveloping the canyon, and all of the restless souls summoned and tainted by the Skull Kid's dark magic returned to the afterlife. Link nodded. Then, Homura gathered her power into her device, and a wave of energy enveloped the entire Ikana area, time-locking the recent events.

"Well, that's that" Link said. "All four Giants are free. Now, let's head back to the ranch for tonight. And tomorrow night, we finish this…"

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

For this fic, I'm going to be condensing the Anju & Kafei quest into a single day's time, rather than being spread out over a three-day period like in-game. So… Next Time: Reuniting Lovers, and the Final Battle.


	8. Majora

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Clock Town**

**Day 3 – 10:00 AM**

Link and the girls moved through town, still fresh from the night's sleep and breakfast at the ranch. It was nice to have soft, warm beds to sleep in, though the doting Cremia still insisted that Link wear that rather frilly and pink nightgown of Romani's to bed and at breakfast in the morning before his bath, with Romani (and, once they saw how cute he was in it, Homura & Miyako) happily going along with it; the young boy sighed as his cheeks tinged pink. At least it was comfortable…

Led by Tatl's mysterious 'Pointer Spell', the trio entered the mayor's office. In a side room on the right, they found a plump woman with a rather outrageous hairstyle.

"Oh dear," she said, "are you kids on a field-trip? …Or is one of you the expert person-finder I hired? Yes, yes, I say, you have the face of a pro, young lad. The characteristics of the person I want you to find… I want you to find my son, Kafei. You know him, don't you?" Link and the girls shook their heads. "You don't? Really? He disappeared about 10 days or so ago. It's terrible! I'm so very worried… I can't get food down my throat, and I've lost five pounds. You haven't anything, though? Oh dear… Well? Could you look for him?"

Link nodded.

"Oh my, of course. You are an expert. Well, I'm counting on you!"

The trio exited, asking around but getting no answers. They entered the Stockpot Inn, nodding to the front-desk lady's greeting as they sat down in the lobby.

"This is gonna take a while" Link said. "Where are we supposed to find this 'Kafei' guy, anyway?"

"You're looking for Kafei, too?"

The young woman at the front desk called them over. "I have a request" she said. "Kafei… I have a clue that could help you find him. Follow me to the kitchen."

Link and the girls followed the young woman through the inn, heading into the kitchen at the far end. She took a few minutes to write something down and seal it in an envelope, and then turned to the trio.

"My name is Anju" she told them. "Earlier this morning, I received a letter from… him. Strange, isn't it? Getting a letter from a missing person… But there's absolutely no mistaking it's from him! It's clear… to me… Please! Here is my reply to him; please put this in a postbox, and follow the postman. Once he delivers the letter, you should be able to meet Kafei. Please tell him that Anju is waiting for him."

"He is… special to you?" Homura asked.

Anju blushed. "Yes…" she replied softly and sadly.

"W-We'll get it done" Miyako said.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Southwest Clock Town**

**Day 3 – 3:00 PM**

Homura, Miyako, Link, and Tatl moved along the rooftops, trailing the red-hatted postman. Now, as he entered a small out-of-the-way area near a stream in the southwest corner of town, he rang a bell on a stick by the little bridge, and a few seconds later a door in the corner opened up. Out of it walked a child around Link's age, if not a little younger, wearing a _kitsune_ mask.

"Look" Homura said. "The hair on that boy… Doesn't it look familiar?"

"T-The postman's giving him Anju's letter" Miyako said.

"Let's get down there" Link said. "But… that boy seems a little reclusive; he might run."

"You two, grab onto me" Homura ordered. "We'll be waiting inside for him."

She froze time and leapt down with her fellows, walking past the frozen boy and postman and into the house, moving up the steps and having a seat amongst the boxes and the little bed inside. Soon, the masked boy returned, shocked at seeing intruders. He focused his gaze on Link.

"Green hat…" he murmured. "Green clothes… Anju wrote about you in her letter. It seems you are looking for Kafei. …Can you three keep a secret?"

Link and the girls nodded. The boy sighed and then removed his mask… revealing a very young version of the young man featured in the picture that the mayor's wife had shown the group.

"…Kafei?" Homura asked. "How are you a child?"

"I was transformed into this form by a strange imp wearing a mask" the de-aged Kafei replied.

Link frowned. "Skull Kid…" he growled. "He's been wreaking havoc all over Termina the past few days. We've been cleaning up after his messes as best we can."

"Hmm… I'm not hiding because of my current appearance, however" Kafei said. "When I was turned into a child, I went to see the Great Fairy in the shrine near the North Gate… But on the way, my precious mask – a wedding ceremony mask – was stolen from me by some prancing man with a big, obnoxious grin on his face! I know my fiancée is worried about me… but I can't go out yet. I made a promise to Anju that I would bring that mask."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pendant of orange, silver, gold, and blue. "This pendant… Give it to Anju. And please, keep this whole debacle a secret."

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Stockpot Inn – 3:15 PM**

"Did you meet him?" Anju asked as she saw Link and the girls enter.

Link nodded, and pulled out the pendant Kafei had given him. Anju gasped, eyes lighting up.

"That's Kafei's… That's definitely Kafei's T-Thank you! Thank you so much! …W-What happened to him?"

"He… made us promise not to tell" Link admitted. "Suffice to say, though, that his disappearance was not his choice. He's not hurt, though, if that's what you're wondering."

"Thank goodness… All right. I'll wait for him. I believe in him…"

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Kafei's Hideout – 3:45 PM**

Link and the girls headed back to the hideout, entering and heading upstairs. However, Kafei was nowhere to be found. In his place was the owner of the 'Curiosity Shop', a balding man wearing a dull-orange vest over a blue shirt.

"Hmm? You the green-hat kid?" he asked. "I got a message from Kafei. I've known him since he was real little… But when he showed up as a 9-year-old a few days ago, I didn't know what I was seein'! But all it took was one glance at that Keaton Mask he was carryin' for me to realize it was him. I gave him that mask a long time ago, when he was still a tot. Didn't know he kept it that well for so long… Anyhoo, a customer came to my shop last night. Now Kafei sees 'im, and he goes red and goes runnin' after the guy. The guy's a regular; a greedy thief, named Sakon. I think he's from Ikana Village…"

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Ikana Canyon – 5:15 PM**

Following Tatl's spell, the trio was led to a pile of rocks against a far wall. Behind it, they found Kafei.

"I found him, Link" the de-aged boy said. "There's a hideout behind that big fake rock wall" he pointed to a somewhat unnatural-looking side of rock nearby. "He's using the place to keep his stolen goods; his name's Sakon. I followed him here earlier, from the shop. Only Sakon can open it; the only way in is to wait for him to show up. I'm going to wait; he _will_ show up…"

"We'll wait, too" Link replied, taking a seat.

And so, they waited, keeping a constant vigil, watching for their thief. Finally, after nearly three hours, a man in a dull white shirt and shiny blue pants came prancing along from outside the canyon, heading up toward the rock door; Kafei growled upon seeing him. Sakon walked up to the door, and a few seconds later it swung open, allowing him inside. Link, Kafei, and the girls clandestinely followed him in. Upon getting inside, Sakon seemed to have vanished.

"Ah! Look!" Tatl pointed to a glass case up ahead. "There's a mask! It looks kinda like the Sun…"

"That's it!" Kafei said. "That's the ceremony mask!"

"Wait!" Homura cried. "Don't get closer! This is too easy. Let me do it…"

From outside observers' perspective, Homura 'flickered' and vanished, and in an instant she was standing next to the glass case (which had been carefully cut open), with mask in hand.

"One can never be too careful" she said as she handed the mask to Kafei, who clutched it to his chest.

"Alright" he said. "Let's get back."

As they left the cave, however, the ground seemed to darken. From the unnatural shadows rose a horde of dark creatures, the likes of which Link and his group had been fighting their stay here – swarms of Keese and other flyers, ReDeads, Armos Knights, a few Wizzrobes, and countless others.

"Where the hell did they come from?-!" Miyako explained.

"We have to get back to Clock Town before it's too late!" Kafei said, hiding behind the young warriors.

"Then we'd better get to work" Homura replied, her aura flaring as dark runes appeared on her forearms. "Stand back…"

She gave a short war-cry, and charged.

**-**_**BREAK**_**-**

**Clock Town – 11:50 PM**

The fight back to the Clock Town had been long and brutal, making their way around or through countless ambushes by the Skull Kid's underlings. Homura and Miyako had done most of the fighting, leaving them somewhat tired, but they pressed on. Finally, with the face-bearing Moon worryingly large and low in the sky, they returned to town, hurrying for the Stockpot Inn. They moved upstairs, following Kafei up to the employees-only lounge, and entered.

All was silent as Kafei approached Anju, who was seated on a bed, holding a moon-themed mask. As he drew close, he pulled out the Sun's Mask. Anju gasped, moving forward and getting down on her knees.

"We promised…" Kafei said softly. "We promised to… exchange these masks on the day of the carnival… And the curse that the Skull Kid placed on me will not stop that. Anju… I'm sorry I was late…"

As understanding dawned on her, Anju gave her de-aged fiancée a teary smile. "Welcome home, dear…" she whispered.

They came closer to each other, touching the masks together, and she then pulled him into a close hug, holding him tight.

"The oaths have been exchanged…" she whispered, sniffling. "Link… You and your friends are our witnesses."

Anju and Kafei turned their heads to look at the young heroes from afar without breaking their embrace.

"Take refuge…" Kafei told them. "We are fine here. We shall face the dawn… together…"

"…Yes" Link replied. "Yes, you will." He turned to Homura and Miyako. "We've done all we can, girls. ...Let's head to the top of the clock tower, and _end this_…"

The two _Puellae Magi_ nodded, and the reunited couple watched as Link confidently drew his sword, Homura her crossbow, and Miyako her hammer. The trio made their exit, setting out to put an end to the cycle of suffering.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**12:00 Midnight**

Three people and a fairy stepped up onto the roof of the Clock Tower. Straight up was the face-bearing Moon, frighteningly close and growing closer by the minute. And floating several feet above the center of the roof was an imp-like being, wearing a brown and green outfit with pointed shoes and a large dull-red hat, and on his face was a bizarre-looking mask, vaguely heart-shaped with several large spikes sticking out in all directions, with a face of reds, blues, and purples, and yellow eyes.

"So that is the Skull Kid and the Mask of Majora…" Homura murmured.

A small purple fairy fluttered out from behind the Skull Kid. "Sis!" it – he – shouted down to Tatl. "Swamp, mountain, ocean, canyon; hurry. The four who are there… bring them here…"

"**D**on't speak out of lin**e**!" the Skull Kid shouted in a distorted voice as he smacked Tael aside. "**S**tupid fair**y**!"

"Tael!" Tatl cried. "That does it! I won't let things go the way you plan them to!"

"**W**hateve**r**. **E**ven if _they_ were to come now, they wouldn't be able to handle m**e**…" The imp let out a deranged little giggle in his tainted voice. "**J**ust look above yo**u**… **I**f you think you can stop it, then _go ahead and __**try!-!**_"

And then the Skull Kid threw his head back and let out a call, a piercing psionic shriek that reached up into the heavens. The moon overhead began to approach at a much more rapid pace, plummeting toward Clock Town. But Link did not panic; instead, he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and began to play a slow, low melody, the magic of the spell-song reaching great distances as it raced out in all directions. The Skull Kid, realizing with horror what was happening, charged at Link, but then Homura got in his path and blasted him point-blank with a powerful shockwave-pulse of magic. He was knocked back a fair distance, landing on the roof and going still.

From the four cardinal directions, the quartet of guardian deities materialized. Their footsteps shook the earth as they converged upon Clock Town, taking position beneath the plummeting moon. As it drew close, they raised up their hands as if to catch it, and unleashed their divine power. The moon shuddered as it attempted to force its way down through the powerful magic that the Four Giants were hitting it with, but before long the wayward celestial object came to a halt, held in place by the entities' power and strength.

"They… They did it…" Tatl said. "We did it!"

"Tatl!"

"Tael!"

The two fairy siblings fluttered around each other in celebration.

"Thank goodness we made it in time" Tatl said. "I can't believe how much damage the Skull Kid has caused! Does he have any idea how much pain he's brought about?-!"

"Wait, sis. Please… don't be too hard on him…"

"Why are you protecting him?-! Even after how much he smacked you around!"

"He was lonely…"

"He was trying to destroy the damn world! That is not the same as a lonely child! We can't allow that!"

"The power of the mask made him do it. It was too much for the Skull Kid to handle."

"It's 'cause he doesn't know his place! On top of having a weak will and having no strength of heart… he's a fool!"

"_**C**__ertainly, he had far too much weakness to use __**my**__ powe__**r**_."

Everyone turned to face the center of the rooftop, where the mask affixed to the Skull Kid's head floated a few feet off the ground, the Skull Kid's unconscious body dangling from it. The spikes sticking out from the mask's edges wiggled around.

"_**A**__ puppet that is broken and can no longer be used is but garbage to be discarde__**d**__._"

Tendrils emerged from within the mask, traveling down and wrapping around the unconscious Skull Kid's neck and upper body. There was a sickening tearing, cracking sound as the body was spun 180 degrees. The mask came loose, letting the Skull Kid's body fall to the ground.

"What… What the hell are you?" Tael whispered in horror.

"…_**I**__ am Major__**a**_."

"The _mask_?" Tatl said, incredulous. "The _mask_ is the bad guy?-!"

Majora's Mask then flew upward, vanishing into the moon. The moon's eyes glowed yellow and it began to force itself down, the four Giants visibly struggling to hold it back.

"Aaah! This is bad!" Tatl panicked. "Let's go back! Let's go back! Hurry! The Song of Time! The Song of Time!-!"

"No" Link replied. "We've come too far. We have to finish this."

"Aw, come on! Don't tell me you're going up there! That's suicide, Link!"

"So was invading Ganondorf's castle" the boy replied. "I can't let this entire world perish! I'm going to put a stop to this!"

"Well, you can count me out! I don't have a death wish!"

"Then _I'll_ go!" Tael said.

"What?-! Tael, you're all I have left! There's no way I'm letting you get yourself killed up there!"

"_Look out!-!_"

A blast of dark magic had been fired down from the moon while everyone was busy arguing. Link looked up just as it neared him… and crashed against a shimmering blue magic barrier. The caster of the technique emerged from the flare of light, fluttering down in front of Link, whose eyes widened in recognition and surprised joy. He'd spent so long looking for her, and now…

"Good to see you again, Link" Navi said. She looked up and around. "Just like old times, huh?"

Link had a big smile on his face as he nodded. "So what now?" he asked. "I know it's been a while, Navi, but… ready to take on a diabolical ultimate evil again?"

"Sure! I got my game face on! …Well, if I _had_ a face. Anyway, let's do this!" She turned to the others. "I'm sorry, you girls, but I can only transport one person at a time. Link and I will have to do this on our own."

"It's alright" Homura replied. "We'll remain here, in case we are needed."

"Cool. Okay, Link, you ready?"

Link nodded, and Navi flew over to him, taking her old favorite perch atop his hat. In a flash of blue light, Link and his old companion vanished.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Unknown Location**

**Unknown Time**

Link opened his eyes to find himself in a large… 'room'. There were swirling psychedelic colors on the walls, floor, and ceiling, and mounted on the far wall was the Mask of Majora, seemingly dormant. The pre-teen Hero of Time drew his blade, as he & Navi advanced slowly and cautiously. As they neared the center of the room, the four masks that Link carried from the four Temple bosses emerged from their subspace storage, floating over to the walls on either side of Majora's Mask, mounting themselves there with two on each side. Then, Majora's Mask lit up and detached from the wall, moving forward. As it did so, it grew in size until it was as tall as Link, several long tentacles/tendrils extending from its rear side.

**Demonic Artifact – MAJORA'S MASK**

The giant mask slowly floated toward Link, and then turned on its side and flew at him while spinning, its spikes letting it act as a flying buzzsaw. Link barely managed to duck and roll out of the way, and shot the Mask with a Light Arrow before it could reorient itself. The monster-mask shuddered as it took damage, then turned to face Link and fired a continuous laser beam. Link used his Mirror Shield to deflect the beam, angling it so it hit the Mask, and then rushed in and dealt a jumping slash to the entity.

Majora's Mask pulsed with dark power, and the four temple-boss masks detached from the walls, flying around and firing energy blasts at Link. The young hero managed to hit the Odolwa Mask with two Fire Arrows that brought it down, and then deflected another beam from Majora into the Twinmold Mask, destroying it as well. The Goht Mask charged at him, but Navi cast a Shield spell that it smacked into, being stunned by the unexpected impact and leaving it open to a slash from Link that dispatched it. Finally, the Gyorg Mask tried to attack Link from behind, but he spun and hit it with an Ice Arrow. As it fell to the ground, frozen, he struck it with his sword, shattering it.

Majora came flying at Link again, buzzsaw-style, and the boy hero used his shield to block the spinning tackle, being shoved back a bit by the momentum before he then bashed his shield forward, knocking Majora's Mask back and allowing him to land a combo of blows with his gilded sword. The evil mask lashed out with its tentacle-tendrils, battering at Link's shield and forcing him back. However, Navi hit it in the face with a light-flare spell, stunning and disorienting it, allowing Link to launch a withering counterattack, a flurry of heavy blows with his sword. He finished with a Spin Attack that sent the demonic mask clattering across the floor.

The mask floated up, bulk forming in back. With a strange sound, a long, spindly leg of sorts instantly formed from the lower-left corner of the mask, followed by another on the other side. Similar arms formed, and then from the top sprouted a head that seemed to be almost entirely just a single large eye with a pair of pointed horns. The… creature made a few odd little noises as it danced around.

**Bizarre Entity – MAJORA'S INCARNATION**

The thing that Majora had transformed into skittered around with surprising speed, leaving an afterimage in its wake. Link was on guard but confused; the being's movements seemed completely random. It came at him doing a strange squatting dance, but when he swung his sword it ballet-twirled away, avoiding the blow. He rushed at it, but it moonwalked out of his range. Then it began hopping around while firing a rapid barrage of energy blasts at Link; he bit back a curse as he rolled to avoid some, using his shield to block the others. Majora giggled insanely at the boy's discomfort and annoyance, and then began moving around again. This time, however, Link drew his bow and, with expert timing, fired an enchanted arrow at Majora. The creature let out a surprised shriek as it fell over onto its face, and Link wasted no time in closing in and slashing at it with his sword. He managed to deal a few solid blows before Majora got back on its feet and skittered/danced away again.

Majora's Incarnation pirouetted to dodge another arrow. Link pulled out and put on his Zora Mask, and tossed a double Boomerang Fin-Blade. Majora dodged one, but got clipped in the head by the other, stunning it long enough for Zora-Link to rush in with electric barrier surging and tackle the entity, following up with a barrage of punches. After a few seconds of punishment Majora kicked him away, and Link removed the Zora Mask and brought his shield up in time to block another barrage of energy blasts. Link then donned his Goron Mask and rolled at Majora's Incarnation, which dodged. Goron-Link kept moving, however, rolling along and sometimes bouncing off the walls, building speed and momentum. Majora watched, confused, as the transformed hero continued to pinball around the room, getting faster and faster. Then, Goron-Link abruptly changed course, going straight for Majora. The gangly abomination barely got out of the way in time. …And then, Link bounced off the wall behind, came back before his target could react, and slammed full-force into Majora's back. As the entity was sent skidding across the floor, Link uncurled and used what momentum he had left to land a devastating Fire Punch that hammered the Incarnation into the floor so hard that it bounced.

Majora's Incarnation let out a screech of rage as it unleashed a pulse of energy that knocked Link away, while also undoing his transformation. The entity got to its feet, and its body began to change. Its arms and legs grew and shifted, going from spindly little stick-limbs to solid and muscular. The mask-chest changed in color and pattern, while bulking out with what seemed like muscle. And its head had now transformed into a demonic visage, with glowing yellow slit-eyes beneath the single larger eye on its forehead, along with a mouth full of fangs. It truly looked like something straight out of Hell now. Majora formed two huge, thick whips from its forearms, and roared as its power flared.

**Eldritch Daemon – MAJORA'S WRATH**

Majora fired a barrage of energy blasts at Link, who dodge-rolled and shielded to withstand them. The instant Link moved to lower his shield and stand up, however, he saw Majora already rushing at him with frightening speed. Link took a whip blow from the side, sending him tumbling across the room; he jabbed his sword into the ground to arrest his uncontrolled movement, wincing as his side throbbed from a blow that would've crushed every rib on that side of his body had he not been reinforced with the Goron Elder's defensive-magic boost. The boy growled as he drew and fired a Light Arrow, impacting Majora in the center of the chest, but it seemed to not do too much damage; the beast snarled and fired another wave of energy bursts, and Link ran to the side, narrowly dodging them.

The instant Link had dodged the last bolt, however, Majora appeared in front of him, and for Link time seemed to move in slow motion as the beast's clawed foot came at his face… only for two flashes of light to Link's right to precede a kick to Majora's face from a leg clad in black diamond-pattern stocking that sent the monster hurtling into a nearby wall. A second later, a barrage of sharp icicles struck Majora, piercing into its body. Link looked over, and saw Homura standing by with Tatl hovering overhead, and Miyako with hammer at the ready and Tael perched on her shoulder.

"You came…" Link said.

"Yeah, yeah, they guilt-tripped me" Tatl grumbled. "Don't expect me to make a habit of it…"

Tael giggled. "You were worried sick about Link, sis."

"SHUT UP, TAEL!-!"

Majora let out a furious roar as it got back on its feet, the ice-spikes embedded into its body being forcefully ejected. The monster swung one of its huge whips at the trio, but Homura activated her forearm-device's shield function, and it projected a circular magic rune-shield around six feet across that blocked the hit. Link quickly charged in and dealt a series of blows to Majora with his sword, pushing the demon back and wounding it. Miyako jumped in over Link, landing a crushing blow with her hammer that sent Majora flying. The demon managed to land on its feet, however, and fired a burning laser beam from the large eye on its forehead. Link used his Mirror Shield to deflect it long enough for Homura to land a flaming kick into Majora's side, scorching it and knocking it aside, forcing it to cut off its attack. The demon then snarled as it grabbed her by the leg, swung her around, and tossed her clear across the room; Miyako caught her and put her down on her feet.

Link shot Majora in the face with a Light Arrow, and the beast howled as it reeled back, covering its face. He used the opportunity while the demon was stunned to dash in and deal several more blows before being forced back. The distraction, meanwhile, had given Homura to cast _Flagrantia Rubicans_, the wave of flame slamming into Majora and scorching the demon's body. The monster charged and fired a large blast of destructive energy at Homura and Miyako, only for Link to step in the way and, with perfect timing, swing his enchanted sword and strike the energy ball, knocking it right back at Majora, who couldn't get out of the way in time and took it head-on.

When the smoke cleared Majora was obviously wounded, growling under its breath as it staggered. Then it roared, its evil aura flaring, a burst of wind racing out from it. Its whips crackled with dark power, and its eyes glowed red. The demon took a deep breath and then breathed/spat out a barrage of razor-sharp shards of solidified dark magic; Miyako launched her own ice shards, impacting and neutralizing some of them, while Link and Homura used their shields to block the rest. Majora swung its dark-energized whips, but Homura's arms glowed with _Magia Erebea_ runes as she planted her feet and caught the appendages, and then with a mighty heave she swung, yanking Majora off its feet and slamming it into a wall. Immediately she started launching magic bolts at the downed entity, while Link fired Light Arrows as fast as he could, and Miyako conjured and fired ice spears. The onslaught heavily damaged Majora, who was unable to escape it.

After the barrage ceased, Majora struggled to its feet. Its whips had been blown off, its left eye was gone, and it had multiple other wounds all over its body. The demon snarled as it bared its claws, focusing on Link. The boy in question readied his sword. After a few seconds, the two charged each other, Majora letting out a roar and Link's sword faintly glowing with power. They met in the middle and made their strikes. After a second, a small gash appeared in Link's tunic… and a bright flash slashed across Majora's body. The beast screeched as it floated off the ground, light pouring out of its wounds. The demon's body rapidly disintegrated, and a wall of light raced out, enveloping everyone…

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

A shining light enveloped the evil moon. The townsfolk below, having come out of hiding, watched in awe as the face-bearing rock vanished in a beautiful burst of light, leaving a shimmering rainbow in its wake. The four Giants relaxed, their burden lifted. And just outside the town walls, a flash of light deposited three young heroes and three fairies. They were tired, but they were happy.

They'd won. Majora had been utterly destroyed.

The next thing Link knew, he was swept up into a hug by Cremia, the young woman holding him tight and nuzzling him. Romani pattered up soon after, joining in the hug, and Link finally allowed himself to relax, leaning against Cremia as he all but crashed from the adrenaline leaving him.

Then, the four Giants' calls sounded out, as – with Majora's taint finally, fully gone – they cast their magic. Inside the town, little Kafei's body glowed and grew, as he was rapidly returned to his normal age. Link's Deku, Goron, and Zora Masks floated out and up, light converging on them that soon became too bright to look at. When it faded, a little Deku scrub stood beside Darmani and Mikau, all three very much alive and whole. Finally, the Skull Kid's body floated up, the Giants' magic flowing into it, returning life to it, and the now-exorcised imp opened his eyes once more. Their task done, the ancient guardian entities vanished into thin air, returning to their realm.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Day 4 – 9:30 AM**

Link relaxed in the 'front yard' of the ranch, while Cremia, Homura, and Miyako were supervising Romani's archery training a little ways away. His side was still a little sore and bruised from where Majora's blow had landed, but nothing was broken and he was healing fairly quickly. He'd been fairly exhausted in the wake of the battle, and had collapsed asleep the second Cremia laid his head on the pillow in the room he & Romani shared. She had let him sleep in a little this morning, and… he blushed faintly as he remembered her holding him in her lap and hand-feeding him, though it had been very comforting.

Link was brought back to the present as a small, controlled rift appeared about 60 feet off the ground nearby. He and the girls looked up as an armored figure flew out aboard some sort of bizarre flying craft. It flew down, the craft vanishing as the figure landed, the motes of light that the craft burst into reforming into a key-like weapon in the figure's hands. The blue and silver armor vanished, revealing a young woman around Cremia's age with blue hair.

"Hello, Aqua" Homura greeted. "Thank you for coming. I trust you've read the incident report I sent?"

"Yes I have" the young Keyblade Master replied. "Are you ready to go?"

"Almost" Miyako replied. She then turned to Link. "Aqua c-can get us back to your realm – to Hyrule. Then, we'll h-have the dimensional coordinates of both Hyrule and Termina, and can s-set up ways to travel between them. We can forge one such link between t-this ranch and your home back in Hyrule, if you want. That way, you won't really have to part with the people here."

"…Setting the link up in Kokiri Village might not be a good idea" Link replied. "The Kokiri aren't used to outsiders. I'll talk to the Princess, though; I'm sure Zelda won't mind if we find a place in Castle Town or thereabouts!"

"Please be careful, you three" Cremia said. "Whatever happens, know you have a place here if you ever need it."

"We will" Homura said, with a small smile. "Thank you."

Before Link could say anything else, Romani came up to Link and hugged him tight, and he returned her embrace a moment later, feeling her relax as she leaned against him. She looked up at him, her cheeks pink.

"I don't care if people are watching…" she whispered.

Then she leaned in and kissed him. Inexperienced he may have been, but Link did his best to return the kiss, and was rewarded by a quiet, happy little moan coming from Romani's throat. The two kids' faces were red as they stayed connected for a few moments longer before slowly breaking apart. Romani giggled softly as she looked into Link's eyes.

"You better get going before Big Sis and I decide to keep you here forever, Link" she said quietly. "See ya soon, I hope."

Link, still in a slight daze from the kiss, nodded as he slowly, reluctantly stepped back, Romani holding onto his hand for as long as she could. He walked over to where Homura, Miyako, Aqua, Navi, and Epona were waiting.

"Tael and I will help out here for a while" Tatl told them. "And then we'll go look for the Skull Kid; maybe being de-masked and brought back from the dead will have changed him…"

Aqua gathered her magic, and then stabbed the tip of the Master Keeper into the ground. A crown-shaped magic rune appeared at the group's feet, power surging up as it prepared for the jump. The two groups waved good-bye to each other, until a flash of light enveloped Link's group, carrying them back to Hyrule.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Notice that it says "Chapter End", not "Book 23 End". There's still more coming. Next Time: Hyrule


	9. Hyrule

**PLEASE SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Hyrule Castle Courtyard**

Zelda, 10-year-old princess of the kingdom of Hyrule, sighed as she sat alone in her favorite secluded courtyard. When, around three weeks ago, that little boy named Link had come up to her, telling an outrageous tale and showing outrageous proof of it, it had all but turned her dull little life upside-down. After thwarting the Gerudo King Ganondorf's plot before it could even get off the ground, she'd gotten to know the mysterious boy who bore the Triforce of Courage. She had deeply enjoyed the time she spent with him; he was witty and brave, but also polite and so gentle and kind, telling her she had a pretty smile. And he was really cute, too.

'Did I just think that?' she thought to herself, her cheeks a little pink.

Sadly, he'd departed after not very long, in search of the fairy companion who'd helped him in the fight against the other timeline's Ganondorf. She'd given him the Ocarina of Time as he left; she hoped it came in handy for him. The young princess let out a sigh as she realized just how much she missed him.

'Link…'

Zelda was interrupted from her lonesome musings as a spark of magical energy sprang up in the middle of the courtyard. She gasped and took cover behind a shrub as the spark rapidly grew into a whirling sphere of light and magic. The light briefly flared, and then faded away altogether to reveal four people – a young adult, two young teens, and a child – along with a blue-light fairy and a young horse.

"So this is Hyrule Castle?" Aqua said, looking around. "It's nice."

"Where is everyone?" Miyako asked.

"I know where this is!" Link said. "This is a secluded little courtyard toward the north of the castle grounds; it's the Princess' favorite hang-out spot."

"Link? …Is that you?"

The boy turned to look at the shrubs, and saw a familiar face peeking out from them – fair skin, long golden-blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. His face lit up with a smile as he headed towards her.

"Zelda!"

The two 10-year-olds raced toward each other, coming to a stop just shy of crashing into each other. Zelda grabbed and held Link's hands in hers as she looked into his eyes, a faint flush to her cheeks and a cute little smile on her face. He gave her a little grin, and she let out a soft giggle, her heart feeling light and fluttery. Then she hugged him, making him blush as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I missed you even more than I thought I would" she whispered, making him shiver as her breath tickled his ear, feeling his heart-rate briefly go up a little bit as his face felt hot. "Welcome back, Link."

He hugged her back, and she let out a content sigh as she relaxed, nuzzling the side of his neck and breathing in his scent. …Then she realized what she was doing, and her eyes opened as her face went red. But the hug was just too nice to stop, embarrassment be damned, so she didn't let go or pull back. Eventually, reluctantly, she pulled away, holding his hands again.

"S-So, um…" she murmured. "You've… been busy, I take it?"

Link nodded. "I just had another crazy adventure. Let's find a place to sit down and my new friends & I will tell you all about it."

**-**_**Break**_**-**

The audience, initially composed solely of Zelda, had quickly grown to include Impa, Zelda's nursemaid, attendant, and bodyguard, as well as her father the King, both of whom were familiar with and glad to see Link, having gotten to know him after he revealed Ganondorf's plot and allowed them to thwart it. Aqua had given a bare-bones description of the Dimensional Defense Force and its roles, and then Link and the _Puellae Magi_ had launched into a detailed description of the events in Termina, supplemented by magically-acquired 'footage' of things, culminating in the final clash with Majora.

"After that," Link said, "we said our goodbyes and came back here."

"Goodness…" the king breathed out. "You certainly seem to make a habit of saving worlds, young man."

"It… kinda just happens" Link replied. "I was just trying to find Navi; I wasn't expecting to end up in another universe. Trouble finds me, Your Majesty."

The man chuckled. "Indeed it does, my boy" he said. "Such is the burden of he who bears a portion of the Triforce, I suppose." He made a barely-perceptible concerned glance toward his daughter, knowing that she too carried a piece of that ancient power, and wondering if similar danger would seek _her_ out someday…

"U-Um, sir?" Miyako spoke up. "While we were in Termina, w-we made some friends. We wanted to set up a dimensional link s-so they and Link can pass through to see each other, but w-we can't set it up in Link's hometown because the Kokiri are distrustful of outsiders. S-So, we were wondering if…"

"If you could set it up somewhere in or near the castle grounds?" the King said. "Hmm… Well, I don't see why not. We'll find a good spot for it in a little while. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing that relates to the kingdom," Homura replied, "but… Link, I have an ability that would grant memories of the other timeline to people. Are there any friends you made in your last quest here in Hyrule that you would like to have remember you?"

"…Well…"

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Kokiri Forest – Lost Woods**

Saria sat on a log, playing the song she'd composed on her ocarina, the birds and other animals hanging around in the shadows to listen. Moments like these always made her feel at peace. As she finished her song, she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to look, and a big smile formed on her face as she saw who it was.

"Link! You're back!"

She ran up to her dearest friend and hugged him, her cheeks pink as she felt his embrace for the first time in weeks. He'd been so busy searching Hyrule for his fairy friend that he hadn't had time to swing by the village in a while. Saria let out a happy sigh as they held each other. After a few moments, she heard a second set of footsteps approaching, and opened her eyes to see a black-haired girl in a white and purple outfit.

"…Who are you?" Saria asked.

"She's one of the friends I made in my latest big adventure" Link replied. "It's a long story. She has a few special powers related to time…"

"Link mentioned that he told you about his first big adventure, correct?" Homura asked.

"Yeah…" Saria replied. "How he saved the world from Ganondorf, and then time was 'rewound' for him…"

"I can use my power to give you some of the memories of the other timeline's you, if you like."

"…No thanks. I don't need them to know Link is a hero and a wonderful person."

"You're sure?" Link asked.

"Mm-hm" Saria nodded. "I'm guessing you've got other people to give that offer to, right? Could we… stay like this for a while longer, first? Please?"

Link smiled as he hugged her tighter. "Okay…" he whispered.

**-**_**Break**_**-**

**Lon-Lon Ranch**

As Link and Homura entered the ranch, Miyako was already there with Epona, who was being tended to by a little girl with chestnut-brown hair that reached down to her hips, wearing a white dress with blue accents. Upon seeing the green-clad boy, Malon smiled and waved him over.

"Link! It's so good to see you again!"

She grabbed his hand and spun him around once, giggling. "I've been worried about you and Epona" she said as she used one arm to hug him while the other petted the juvenile horse in question. "Miyako told me some stuff about the big adventure stuff you got caught up in. And… she told me what your other new friend Homura can do. So… could you?"

Homura nodded and came closer, laying her hand on Malon's shoulder while Link held Malon's hand. The young mage focused her energies, and the device attached to her forearm clicked as the gem set into the back of her hand pulsed. Malon gasped as memories – those belonging to another 'her' – flowed into her head. She groaned softly as her head ached for a few seconds, then a few moments later she looked back up at Link, a flush to her cheeks as she smiled.

"I remember a few things… When Ingo was corrupted, you saved me from him, and from the brainwashed Gerudo soldiers he sent after me… I've always dreamed of a knight riding in to save me from danger, and then in you came…" This time, she used both arms to hug Link, who blushed as he received his fourth hug from a cute girl in the space of half a day. "Hey… Why don't you stay for lunch, Link? I'd… We'd be happy to have you."

"S… Sure" the boy nodded, a little smile on his face; having been denied them for most of his life until he met Cremia & Romani, he had decided that hugs were very, very nice things, especially when someone cute and/or pretty who really liked him was giving one to him.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Zora Domain – Throne Room**

The Zora King groaned, holding a hand to his head as the memories settled in. He looked at the now-familiar boy standing before him.

"Gracious…." he muttered. "I probably could've done without the memory of being frozen solid. And… My little girl, in that other timeline, had to sacrifice her existence on the mortal plane to act as a Sage… My apologies for the slight mistrust I felt towards you, young Link. If you wish to see Ruto, she's in our 'fountain', near where Lord Jabu-Jabu rests. Let me just move out of the way…"

After waiting a considerable amount of time for the corpulent king to very slowly move his bulk out of the way of the passage, Link and Homura headed on through, emerging into the semi-secret cove. A titanic fish – Jabu-Jabu – slumbered half-sticking out of the water, and near the water's edge a little Zora girl around Link's age was staring up at the sky, lost in thought. Princess Ruto turned to face Link and Homura, cautious and curious, and Link blushed a little as he actively focused his gaze up on her face; apparently, it was a Zora tradition/custom/social more that children under the age of 13 could remain completely nude at any & all times they wished, which 11-year-old Ruto took full advantage of.

"W-Who are you?" the young princess asked.

'Wow, he's pretty cute for a Hylian…' she thought.

Ruto couldn't explain what happened next. One instant, the strange new people were a few meters in front of her, and the next they 'flickered' and reappeared right beside her, his hand touching hers and the black-haired girl's on her head. Ruto gasped as Homura's spell kicked in, and memories flooded into her mind. Link stepped back as Ruto whimpered, holding her head. After several seconds, she looked up at him, her blue eyes becoming slightly teary as her face flushed, a little smile on her face.

"I remember…" she spoke softly. "Link… My prince…"

Link was then caught off-guard as Ruto pounced on him, knocking him over as she pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around him. Link's face went red from the unexpected kiss and from the weight and warmth of Ruto's body atop his and the young Zora Princess let out a quiet, happy moan as she felt his arms come up to rest on her back, returning the embrace, while his body relaxed as he returned the kiss as best he could. Eventually she broke the contact, smiling down at him as she used one hand to gently stroke his cheek.

"I remember you accepting my… proposal…" she said in a near-whisper. She saw Link's eyes widen a bit as he remembered as well… along with a hint of worry in his expression. "What's wrong, darling?" she asked. "Do you… not like the idea?"

"Huh? No, that's not it at all, Ruto!" Link replied earnestly, and looking into his eyes she could tell he was being truthful. "I like you, Princess; I really do. It was really, really nice being with you and getting to know you during and after I saved you from Jabu-Jabu's insides, and in the Water Temple. You're fun to be with and you're really cute and pretty and you're so… soft and warm… It's just that I… well, there are…"

"There are a few other girls who are in love with him" Homura said.

Ruto giggled. "Is that all? Dear, you don't have to worry about that! Princesses can share! If someone else loves you, I won't take you from them… as long as _they're_ willing to share, too. So who else is it?"

Again, Homura answered for Link. "Two farm-girls, a Kokiri girl whom Link grew up with, and Princess Zelda."

Ruto gasped. "Even Zelly?" she asked, a bit astonished.

"…Zelly?" Link repeated.

"Oh, this is too cool! Me and Zelly have been playmates since we were both in diapers! We keep in touch still, and whenever my daddy and hers have king-stuff to talk about we hang out together. And now we've got the same consort! Ooh, yay! We can both have fun and do lovey-stuff with you together!"

Ruto gave a happy little giggle as she snuggled Link again. Link's face was rather red as his thoughts were all astir. He pretty much knew that Ruto and Romani had feelings for him, but to hear it actually called love? _And_ to be told that Malon, Zelda, and Saria felt that kind of love for him, too? …And, once he thought about it, the feelings he got when thinking about or being with them… did _he_ love _them_?

As he & Ruto looked into each other's eyes, and Link felt that flutter and lightness in his chest, the contentment and trust and happy thoughts, he realized that yes, he _did_ love her. And he felt those things for the other four as well; his time spent with Zelda after helping her stop Ganondorf, playing and telling stories and relaxing together; all the things he & Saria did together over the years, always checking up on each other, playing together, helping each other; the time he spent with Malon once he came to her ranch to find Epona and ended up hanging out and doing things with her, eating picnic lunches and brushing her hair; all the things done with Romani, her hugging him all the time, wrestling in the hay in the barn, cuddling up with her at night, and the two kisses she'd given him, one of them his first kiss ever… He'd fallen in love with all five of them.

"Having an epiphany, darling?" Ruto asked with a smirk as she stroked his cheek again.

"…Uh-huh" Link nodded. "Didn't really… realize what I felt for you and the others was love… until now… Kinda worried if I can do this right… Don't wanna hurt any of you…"

"Don't worry about a thing, Link. It'll all work out; I can feel it in my heart. …I'm gonna kiss you some more."

"…'kay"

The little blond boy closed his eyes and relaxed as Ruto's lips claimed his, his arms going around the little Zora Princess' soft, warm body while her hands cradled his face and tilted his head back a bit. A little ways away, Homura smiled as she gave the little lovebirds a moment to themselves.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Hyrule Castle**

**5:30 PM**

The first portal linking Hyrule and Termina had been set up at Lon-Lon Ranch, linking it with Romani Ranch on the other side. Naturally, Cremia and Romani had come right through as soon as they could, happy to reunite with Link. When Romani and Malon met, it was no time at all before they were best buddies; at first it seemed like they really were mirrors of each other, cross-dimensional counterparts, but upon closer observation Malon was a little calmer, a teensy bit 'girlier' (though Romani still had plenty in that department), and an inch or so taller.

Link wandered through the decorated halls of the castle, heading toward where he had been summoned to. He felt a tad nervous; why would Zelda 'request' that he come to her room? He'd never even _seen_ her room before. Was he in trouble? Did she want to show him something? He found his feet dragging and his heart-rate climbing as he neared the door, which was decorated in gold and pink. With a trembling hand, he reached out and opened the door, stepping in.

The room looked just like what Link imagined – elegant yet childish, with lots of pink and white everywhere, a big huge bed with pure white pillows and pale-pink sheets and blankets, a few dolls sitting on a shelf, and some drawers, a desk, and whatnot. Zelda sat on the edge of the bed, her headdress removed to let her long golden-blonde hair fall free. But what caught his attention was the fact that Zelda was not alone; four other girls were in here as well. And all five of them were smiling at Link.

"'Bout time you got here, sweetie" Ruto (who was wearing a semi-transparent thigh-length blue dress so as not to potentially upset the Hylians, as always whenever she visited here; what was their problem with kids being nude, she wondered?) said.

"Well?" Zelda said as she got up and stood amongst the other girls. "Don't just stand there; come over here, Link. Oh, but take off your weapons and hat first."

Link did as he was told, setting his sword and shield down by the now-closed door, and hanging his hat on the sword's hilt. He walked toward the gathering of the five girls who'd each earned very special places in his heart, nervous of what they had planned. As he drew near, Saria started towards him, a blushing smile on her face and a light swing to her hips as she came up to right in front of him. She reached out, one hand resting on his side while the other rested against his cheek; her smile grew a little as she saw him blush. Then she pulled him close so his front pressed against hers, one hand on the small of his back and the other on the back of his head, and she became the third girl to kiss Link.

Link briefly stiffened in surprise, but then his body relaxed against Saria's as his hands came up to hold her; she let out a soft, pleased hum from deep in her throat as they held each other. Eventually, reluctant but knowing that the others needed their turns, she broke the kiss, resting her forehead against Link's and gazing into his eyes.

"I've been waiting so long to do that…" she whispered.

She stepped back and aside, and Zelda took her place, pressing herself against Link and cupping his face with her hands, then pulling his face close as she kissed him. Link put his arms around Zelda's body, and she made a cute little happy sound as she pressed her lips against his a little more. Her thumbs softly stroked his cheeks just below his eyes, as the fluttering in her heart made her feel light as a feather. After a little while, she broke lip contact and kissed the tip of Link's nose before moving away, allowing Malon to move in. Malon's kiss was soft and gentle, somehow making Link's heart race and soothing him at the same time. Before long, he followed a strange new urge, and Malon squeaked as he wrapped his arms around her, one on her lower back and the other on the back of her head, buried in her long hair. He kissed back, taking the dominant stance for once, and Malon swooned in his arms as she leaned against him, one of her feet popping up. When the kiss eventually broke, Malon's face was flushed as she panted lightly, a dazed smile on her face.

Romani moved in next, letting out a soft giggle as she eagerly kissed Link, a happy little moan coming from her throat. Link closed his eyes as he returned it, arms going around her, feeling as she rested one hand on his back and the other on his cheek. Then her hand moved back along his cheek, and she ran her fingertips up and down Link's pointy little ear. The boy squeaked, a shudder running along his body from the odd spark of sensation. Romani let out another little giggle into their kiss as she began rubbing his ear, and Link let out cute little gasps and moans, instinctively leaning his head into her hand. When Romani broke the kiss, she ran her fingertips along both of his ears briefly, enjoying how he twitched, his face a little more flushed than before.

"Would you say we're good kissers, Link?" Saria asked softly.

"…Uh-huh" the boy nodded, a little dazed.

"We…" Zelda blushed. "We practiced on… on each other before you got here…"

"It felt good when Ruto did that ear thing to me…" Romani said. "Looks like it's the same for you."

The mental images made Link's face feel hot. He was brought back to reality as Ruto approached him, an almost-hungry grin on her face and a noticeable sway to her walk.

"This next trick, though," she said, her voice almost a purr, "is something I haven't done to the other girls… yet."

The Zora Princess embraced her 'prince', hands on his lower back and the back of his head as her lips pressed against his, her slightly-greater height meaning Link had to tilt his head back just a little bit. Link got quite a surprise, however, when Ruto's lower hand moved down to his bottom and squeezed; he squeaked, and she used the opportunity to push her tongue into his mouth. He let out a soft, high moan, his face going bright red, as Ruto had her way with his mouth while her other hand kept kneading and squeezing. Link gradually sank down to his knees, with Ruto following him down, never letting go. The other girls watched, eyes wide and faces red, as their boy pretty much melted in the Zora Princess' arms. When she finally pulled her lips away, her tongue visibly left his mouth _after_ her lips broke contact. Link was in a daze, face flushed red and eyes half-open. Ruto giggled as she looked at him.

"How was that?" she asked.

"…Whoa…" he whispered.

"Goodness…" Zelda murmured. "That looked…"

"Yeah…" Saria muttered.

"I wanna do that with him…" Romani breathed out. "Or maybe with her…"

Ruto carefully bent down… and then, suddenly, scooped Link up, the boy letting out a surprised cry as he was lifted bridal-style; Zoras were stronger than they looked. She all but threw him onto Zelda's bed, and then jumped in beside him. Romani leapt in right after.

"Cuddles!" she said.

Zelda, Saria, and Malon were unable to resist, climbing up onto the bed and piling on Link, who didn't seem at all uncomfortable despite having five girls on top of him.

"Told ya it would work out fine, honey" Ruto said to Link as she nuzzled him.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next Day**

Aqua, Homura & Miyako, and 'Group Link' (the boy in question, Navi, Saria and her fairy, Malon, Ruto, and Romani & Cremia) waited in Hyrule Field just outside of Castle Town, expecting the arrival of a few more DDF personnel bearing news. Soon, a large Midchildan long-range teleportation circle appeared on the ground a short distance away, and 11 people appeared – Teana & Subaru, Marie & Sarah, and the seven kids of Theta Team. One of the latter's members looked around in awe, and then had a bit of a star-struck expression as she caught sight of Link.

'O-Oh, wow…' Erika thought. 'I'm actually in Hyrule! T-That's actually Link and Zelda! …Oh, this is _so cool!_'

"Hey girls" Teana said as she walked over. "I read the report. Sounds like you got involved in something big. Sorry we couldn't be there to help; we've been pretty busy."

"Right" Homura replied. "The Z-Fighters were going to start training people in their kind of chakra/ki usage, starting with flight & ki blasts and working from there."

The redhead nodded. "My uncle taught me quite a few things; I'm a little stronger now, and I've got some new tricks. Same with my brother, Subaru & Ginga, Sora, Erika, Nanoha & Vita… Good thing Eva-chan's letting us use her 'resort'. We're hoping to have everyone we can versed in ki-based combat by the time Amon, Xehanort, or the Reapers make their move. I think Group Madoka – that's you girls' group – is slated to start in about a week, barring any unforeseen events."

"U-Um…" Erika chimed in, having walked over. "Goku's a-also helped me with something else. Remember h-how I blew up on Belka, got really angry and started s-screaming and cursing? T-Turns out I was bottling up a lot of any anger or a-annoyance I felt without knowing it – just l-little things, piling up over a l-long period of time, and that day i-it finally broke loose. Goku's helped me g-get a better handle on those emotions, taught me some methods to help s-stay calm _without_ letting it build up. …Though h-he said after I l-let him read my mind that there was also actually a minor Dark spell on m-me that day that increased my anger unnaturally, and it was s-still on me. T-The Supreme Kai was able to remove it, though, thank goodness. I don't like the idea of having extra anger that's not supposed to be there."

"I was wondering why you blew your top so badly…" Teana said. "It was unlike you; I know you can get really angry sometimes, like when people you care about are being insulted or threatened, but usually it's a cold and tranquil fury; seeing your anger run red-hot was really unusual."

"Y-Yeah…" Erika looked down, a bit of shame crossing her expression.

'T-Though I wonder why, when Goku 'read' me a-after the Supreme Kai helped me, he seemed a bit s-surprised and… happy, like he'd h-had an idea he liked, when he said I was 'pure of Heart'…'

The little girl looked up as Miyako put a hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her, soon smiling back. The two shy girls walked off together, talking about things in their similar calm & quiet voices. Teana and Sarah smiled; Miyako, Erika, and Fluttershy (who was presently busy elsewhere) were close friends who got along wonderfully, to no-one's surprise.

"So, anything else to report?" Homura asked Teana.

"Well, the augmentations and training of the first batch of Spartan-4s has commenced" the redhead replied. "The _Infinity_'s 'Danger Room', as Marie calls it for some reason, is being put to good use. I hear it that the S-2s, Crimson, and Mendez are putting them through the wringer. Also, we heard from the Galactic Federation, the humans from Samus Aran's home realm. It seems that, a couple days ago, something big happened on one of their worlds, called Norion. Samus managed to save the place, but she was injured; she'll likely be out cold for several days, at least. There were three other friendly mercs involved, too; it seems Dark Samus came calling and knocked all four of them for a loop. The GF said they'd keep us posted, and in the meantime they're preparing formal talks with the DDF, maybe even to join the alliance as a new member-state."

"That's good" Aqua replied. "I have a feeling we'll need all the ships we can get when those Reaper things arrive sooner or later in Shepard's realm. …Speaking of which, how's his 'little project' coming along?"

Teana smiled. "The first meeting between Zaal'Koris and Legion went as good as he anticipated. With any luck, we might – just _might_ – be able to solve that old feud without a load of bloodshed; it helps that the Geth are already anxious to reconcile with the Quarians and live in peace & harmony with them and yada-yada, so now we just gotta convince the rest of Tali & Koris' people. Hell, if we're _really_ lucky they'll be on speaking terms by the time Harbinger & his forces show up."

"Any projections on when the Reapers will arrive?" Homura asked.

Teana's smile faltered. "Anywhere between three and seven months; hopefully it'll be closer to the latter, 'cause to be honest we may not be ready if they show up sooner. I sorta doubt we'd be okay with anything less than a year. …Also, we have a bit of bad news from the Z-Group's Earth. You know the Dragon Balls? We just found out Amon's placed a curse on them that renders them inert. The curse is linked to his life; as long as Amon is alive, the Balls are useless. So, if we lose anyone, and it takes more than a year after that to kill Amon…"

Homura and Aqua nodded; the dire implications didn't need to be stated.

"One last thing; it turns out that there are multiple linked timelines connected to this world, and Kaede Kanade & Erika helped clarify it for us. Apparently, the first divergence point is Link's final battle against Ganon; at that point, it splits into three timelines – one where he was killed by Ganon, the second timeline being where he beat Ganon and was then 'send back' while Ganondorf got imprisoned in the Spirit Realm, and the third timeline being… well, _this_ one. Furthermore, you girls' interference has caused a _fourth_ timeline to branch off from this one; technically, we're in that fourth right now, with the original third timeline being the one where the DDF never found or got involved in this world's affairs. It turns out, there's a point about 100 years down that third timeline that we can access… and may _need_ to, since we have reason to believe Xehanort and his underlings are heading for it as well."

"Wait…" Aqua said. "If it's 100 years in the future, then how can we…?"

"It's complicated stuff involving the fluidity of time flow, slipspace travel, and magic. Best not to question it; leave it to the AIs and eggheads to puzzle out the fine details."

"So we'll be 'departing' for that point in space-time soon?" Homura asked.

"Yes. Supposedly, we'll be showing up shortly after another incarnation of Link – that's something else Erika will have to explain to you – helped thwart an invasion of Hyrule led by 'Zant, the Usurper King of Twilight'. According to Erika and Kaede K, Ganondorf was involved, too. Anyway, if we're lucky we'll get there _before_ Xehanort does."

"When are we ever lucky with that sort of thing?" Homura murmured.

"Yeah, I know. But we can hope. Anyway, though, we have a couple hours. Let's kick back here for a little while first."

"Sounds good to me" Aqua replied. She giggled as she watched Link's five girls follow him wherever he went, and he didn't seem at all perturbed by that.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Next Time: the Hyrule of _Twilight Princess_, just after the events of the game


End file.
